Nexusworld
by arpulver
Summary: With Tai at the helm, the world inhabited by heroes from every season found peace. But when hundreds more digidestined, hunters, and appdrivers arrive at once, finding them a suitable home and way of life could unravel everything. Especially when new leaders Haru, Tagiru, and Daigo set out to redefine their fates, no matter who stands in their way.
1. Headfirst

**Author** **'s Notes  
** Ready to go back to Neverworld? Although you'll see plenty of the existing cast and catch up with everybody, this time the focus will favor the characters from Appmon, Hunters, and tri., particularly the three new goggleheads. If you're unfamiliar, we'll try to get you caught up as much as feasible. Still, to stay consistent with last season, this story uses dub names, terminology, and characterization where available. If Appmon gets a dub, expect a massive find/replace job later to honor this.

A new chapter will go up every two weeks for 3-4 episode runs. This will prevent too many extensive delays. This is looking like another 26-episode series, so buckle up!

This story includes mild violence, mild language, sexual situations I hope remain mild, and all the suggestive dialogue. All characters save two are older than they were in their shows, but thanks to what happened last season I can't generalize by how much. There are about three "traditional" pairings featured across this whole shebang (and one of them is now poly), so don't get your hopes up.

 **Transformative Works Statement**  
Any transformative works, be it art, music, or spinoff stories, may be done without my permission so long as I am made aware of it by private message or email. I am open to podfic, but please seek permission first.

 **Nexusworld**

 _I_ _'m gonna fight my way to happy ever after._  
 _Win my chance to start another chapter._  
 _Can't stop now: I don't even care if it hurts._  
 _I'm diving in head first._  
 _\- The Royal, "Headfirst"_

 **Episode 1**

Takuya Kanbara struggled to keep his mind on the mission. He had too much to think about, too many considerations with his other priorities to devote too much brainpower to an operation. He even worried about the way he rationalized his distracted state. The Deramon village offered no strategic value other than being the closest settlement to Parrotmon's base. Parrotmon's preferred strategy would have been to strengthen his army before sending it to attack a village he assumed would be defenseless. His troops were not at full strength and the village was well protected: this was going to be a rout. But rather than focus on protecting innocent Digimon and stopping a potential threat before he became truly dangerous, Takuya could only dwell on all the better things he could be doing with his time. This wasn't his nature, and it frightened him.

His radio crackled to life: "Nearing range." The wind distorted Keenan Crier's voice, an obvious sign he was on the move. Takuya still got the message. Keenan had stumbled upon Parrotmon's base of operations a week ago, even infiltrating enough to observe the few Champion level Digimon he had in his team and hear his rants about "the human invaders" used to corral them to his cause. Nobody on the team batted an eye at this sort of propaganda anymore; every year some zealot or manipulative would-be villain would spread such sentiments trying to either purge the Digital World of its humanity or restore it to the horrific barbarism that existed before the deity Rhythm summoned them all here. Even Keenan, raised on this drivel and more aware of its dangers than anybody, kept his composure and reported back dutifully.

This mission was the result of Keenan's intelligence. Peckmon and a couple Digimon on loan from patrol led them to think their compound was under heavy attack, prompting them to flee and attempt to seize the Deramon village. Takuya had to admit he was impressed by the officers' ability to take all the information, predict Parrotmon's movements, and devise a plan of action around them. But it also took all the suspense out of what was to come, leaving him with little to be excited about.

Two Saberdramon led the charge out of the canyon, flying straight for the village as anticipated. They only made it halfway before the ambush began.

"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon swooped in from the right, a gust from her wings disrupting her dark counterparts as she flew past them. Scorched but unbeaten, they chased. Her passenger, Sora Takenouchi, looked back to ensure they were following the script and steer her partner around the counterattacks. Despite clinging to her swerving partner's left foot, Sora showed no sign of fear. In theory, one Saberdramon should have been an even match against one Birdramon. With Sora piloting, Takuya knew they could handle two.

Besides, they wouldn't be unassisted for long. Once in position, Sora raised a hand. Aquilamon's Blast Rings attack came right on schedule and vaporized one of the Saberdramon. As he flew by, Yolei Inoue shouted commands atop him. Birdramon ascended, almost fully vertical before banking left and seizing the offensive against the remaining enemy. With Aquilamon's support, Takuya didn't have to watch the rest. To think Yolei was so skittish about killing Digimon when Takuya first met her all those years ago. She still didn't like it—few of them did—but she kept her reservations off the battlefield.

Takuya snapped himself away from watching the ladies dominate the sky to focus on what passed for a ground assault. A few Akatorimon and, for variety, one Kokatorimon ran out of the canyon, scampering through the clearing towards the village. He spirit evolved to Agunimon, dodging two overly telegraphed attacks before firing his Pyro Darts to keep them in check.

Before he could stun them enough to deliver a finisher, Kyubimon charged in. "Dragon Wheel!" Her spinning generated an aura of blue flame that slashed through the mob, incinerating several with ease. Her tamer, Rika Nonaka, was the newest fixture on the response team, but both her demeanor and skill revealed an experienced veteran. She took the job seriously, scanning the field for any potential surprises that could endanger her partner, but made no secret she considered this position less demanding than her old patrol duties and took it to relieve some stress. During battles this one-sided, Takuya knew what she meant.

They had taken out most of the supporting army by the time Rika pointed out Parrotmon diving in from the top of the canyon. Once he reached top speed, one flap of his wings both slowed his descent and launched a shockwave attack. Agunimon instinctively stepped in front of Rika to absorb the blow, prompting her to roll her eyes and mutter, "Seriously?"

Not that there wasn't an attack to block, but that job fell to Gallantmon, bounding in and absorbing it with his shield before taking a leaping charge at Parrotmon. The avian saw it in time and rose just enough to avoid his lance, then quickly surveyed the field. Realizing the hopelessness of his situation, all of his rage against humans couldn't overcome his survival instinct and he flew away, avoiding the canyon, the village, as well as both Birdramon and Aquilamon.

"Not so fast… slide evolution!" Agunimon became BurningGreymon and flew after him. Parrotmon still had a speed advantage, so BurningGreymon didn't waste any time readying his arm cannons. Once the target steadied his flight, the beast spirit locked onto his target, pulled up, and fired: "Pyro Barrage!"

The laser fire ripped through the sky, but Parrotmon caught an air stream taking it just off course. The attack missed two feet to the right. Parrotmon was too fast to allow a second try. BurningGreymon hovered in the air as Aquilamon caught up and Yolei called him back.

As the victorious unit gathered back at the village, Gallantmon splitting back into Takato Matsuki and Guilmon, two more Digimon ran out of the canyon. Peckmon carried Keenan, already smiling as he saw the fight had ended. The scout's job of sneaking into dangerous locations and identifying potential threats had paid off. Mikey Kudo was aboard Dorulumon, among the newest arrivals at only twenty months. He had been on the patrol team for the last year or so, but the first volunteer to cross over and lend assistance to missions such as these.

Keenan and Mikey met the assembled team, hopped off their steeds, and joined in the round of high-fives that had started. Originally from six different teams across five different dimensions, they united as an organized, efficient unit as if they'd done it every day. Sometimes it felt like they did.

One of the Deramon greeted them. "Well thanks much! We were scared to hear he was targeting us. It's a load off our minds!"

"No prob-" Takuya and Takato caught each other replying in unison. Takuya smiled and deferred to the tamer. "Just happy to help!" said Takato. "A few more weeks unchecked and he could have been a real handful."

Deramon held a wing out towards the largest hut in the village. "Pop inside! We'll treat you to some milk and cookies before you go."

With a scoff, Rika said, "Milk and cookies? Do we look like we're ten?"

Ruffling his feathers, Deramon looked stunned. "Don't tell me you've never had milk here! We make our own lovely microbrew with a hint of maple. You'll love it!"

"That's right!" Takato grinned. "I forgot how milk works here! Yeah, I could go for a round. How about you guys?"

Yolei tilted her head, cracking a sly smile. "It would be rude to say no. How strong is this stuff?"

"Not strong at all! Nothing to worry about," Deramon replied.

"Shame. What about the cookies? What's in those?"

"Nothing. But who doesn't like cookies?"

Sora scratched her shoulder. "This all sounds nice, but we're really busy back home. We only have so much time to finish getting ready." She eyed Takuya for backup.

"She's right…" Takuya said. Before he could elaborate, he saw the annoyed look on Yolei's face. Even Rika seemed receptive to the idea. Takato raised his eyebrows at Takuya and gave him a tiny nod. That did it. "But hey, we've got time for a drink or two. It's a big win! We should celebrate!"

Takato, Yolei, Keenan, and most of the Digimon cheered as they followed Deramon into the hut. Only Sora and Mikey lingered behind with Takuya.

"You know, this is your big plan we're breaking our backs for," she said, folding her arms. "And you're farther behind than we are."

"Only two weeks until the big day!" Mikey said with a big smile.

Takuya threw his hands on their shoulders. "All the more reason to take a break before crunch time!" He practically shoved them toward the hut.

Sora didn't resist, but still huffed, "You've spent the last year trying to move half the castle hundreds of miles away. We're two weeks out, you're not even close to ready… and your solution to this is to get drunk?"

With a grin, Takuya answered, "Sounds like a good reason to get drunk to me!" Sora just sighed.

* * *

Kari Kamiya listened to the update from the field with a calm smile, jotting notes and nodding along. She added a chuckle when Yolei concluded with the part about "going out for drinks." Kari flashed a thumb's up to Thomas, prompting a satisfied sigh as he leaned away from her desk.

"Okay, one second," she said over her headset before turning to Thomas. "Mission was a success. Flushed them to the engagement point and took them out with no victims. Parrotmon escaped but his army's gone."

Thomas nodded repeatedly. "Excellent. Have someone camp there for a day or two. We should keep tabs on Parrotmon as well."

Kari returned to Yolei. "Thomas says someone should stick around for a day in case he comes back." She listened to Yolei's reply, smiled, then said, "All right! Have fun and tell everyone great job!"

As she disconnected and pulled off her headset, Henry repeated, "Have fun?" While his position supervised internal logistics and he had no involvement with the mission, he still had ears.

With a wider smile, Kari explained, "The Deramon are treating them to a round of drinks."

Thomas chuckled. "Fair enough. They've certainly earned it. I could fix one myself later."

"You seemed worried," said TK, leaning back in his chair next to Kari's, a well used notepad in his lap.

"Any mission relying on predicting an enemy's behavior carries some risk. Thankfully, Parrotmon wasn't stupid enough to foil it."

A ding signaled the elevator's arrival. "Looks like my lunch date's here," said Kari as Gatomon stepped out.

"Mine too!" said TK with a fixed grin and closed eyes.

The other occupant, Angie, rolled hers in response. "Yeah yeah," she muttered.

While still trained on her monitor, Kari's eyes veered toward TK. Her smile stayed intact. "You only have to deal with him for two more weeks."

"I'd take him over all the boys headed to Isthmian." TK's eyebrows rose. Hers fell.

"Ready Kari?" asked Gatomon.

"Yep, just need to put a tracker on Parrotmon," Kari replied.

"Hey, why don't you let me handle it?" Angie suggested. "I could use the practice."

"And I could use lunch!" added Gatomon.

Agreeing, Kari relinquished her chair as her partner Digimon re-summoned the elevator. With the operation concluded, it was back to another pleasant day at the top of the castle. It usually had been in the seventeen months since Takuya's disastrous effort to lead a splinter group to distant Isthmian Castle. For now, everybody was back together, and other than the odd wannabe insurgent or corrupted Digimon, it had been peaceful enough.

Even when something did arise, one of the active teams dealt with it with little worry. Tai wasn't even in the command room when the decisive update came in, and he was in charge of everything. But he trusted Thomas to supervise, Kari to communicate with the teams, and Takuya and the others to execute the plan. Nobody let him down.

Despite the relative lack of drama, there was plenty of excitement. Teams were pulled into this Digital World approximately six years after their "point zero," the moment they conclusively saved their world from whatever threatened its destruction or conquest. In a week, the sixth anniversary of Quartzmon's defeat theoretically signaled the arrival of the hunters from Mikey's world. The peculiarities of that situation made it impossible to know just who would arrive, but they resolved to be prepared no matter what. With their primary castle nearing comfortable capacity, they developed a more cohesive strategy to utilize Isthmian. What this second outpost would be capable of depended on who arrived, but this time the motivation to settle there was expansion rather than rebellion. It turned what was once a mark against their fraternity into a hopeful investment for the future.

Gatomon stepped on the elevator and turned around, waiting for Kari to push the button. But Kari hadn't moved, standing straight and still behind her chair. Gatomon leaped off when she saw the blank expression on her partner's face. Her eyes glazed over, becoming glassy, multicolored irises with no pupils.

"Kari?!" Her cry drew everyone's attention in time to see Kari turn around and take slow, purposeful steps to her brother's desk. TK jumped out of his chair, his notepad falling to the floor.

Thomas peered in. Despite his years of education and experience, he could only manage to say, "Kari… you don't look well."

"How? This shouldn't be possible."

"You know what's happening?" Thomas forced his eyes away just long enough to glance at the feline.

TK clenched his teeth. "It's like something's possessed her again…"

"Again?!" Angie cried. "This happened before?!"

"Couple times. When we were kids."

"Couple more since then, TK," said Gatomon. "It's an entity from the Digital World. I forgot its name."

"Homeostasis," answered Henry, drawing looks from everybody. He turned away, clearing his throat. "I, uh… I read the novels."

Kari faced them. In a dull monotone, she said, "I am the master of creation and destruction... of heaven and earth... of life and death... of light and darkness."

"Guess we should hear what she has to say," TK said, eyes fixed on his longtime friend. Gatomon returned a silent nod.

Angie turned to them and shouted, "Why are you normalizing this?!"

With no change in expression, Kari's voice rose in pitch and suddenly became giddy: "Oh good, I can do this!"

"Who are you?" asked Thomas.

"Oh, this is Rhythm! I'm really glad this worked."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you the one who brought us all in here?"

"Yes, and I need to talk to you about that."

"If it's about the arrival next week, we're already planning for it," said Thomas, cracking a smug grin.

"You worked that out? Impressive!" Her bright, excited tone betrayed the dead look in Kari's eyes and the lack of any smile. Kari's head turned steadily across the room. "Where's Tai?"

"He's at lunch," answered Henry. "Suppose we better get him."

Angie held out a hand. "Wait, hold on, is Tai going to freak out seeing Kari like this?"

"Absolutely," TK replied, containing the urge to freak out himself.

She picked up his notepad, shaking her head. "Skip it then. I'll take a message."

"All right," said Rhythm.

"It's fortuitous you dropped in," Thomas said, pulling notes up on his computer. "While we have the estimated date worked out, the information Mikey gave us raised questions about how many arrivals we'll receive."

"Right… about that… there was a little… hiccup in that world." TK and Henry stared slackjawed at how Kari's face remained expressionless despite all the inflections Rhythm put into her voice. "Did Mikey tell you about Quartzmon?"

"He told us what he knew, but we still have questions."

"So everybody who came in from all those worlds and all those different times sort of messed up my process."

"Hmm, we hadn't considered that. We were more concerned about whether digiquartz was close enough to the Digital World for you to acquire the hunters' data."

"Wow, you guys are so smart! I was worried about that too! Oh, but not because of the data. Anyone with a digivice generates enough data for me to get them. It's just easier if they've been in the Digital World. Plus if I don't have constraints like that, hundreds of kids and their Digimon could end up here."

"Okay, okay!" Angie's notepad was still blank. "What are we supposed to tell Tai?"

"Oh… that hundreds of kids and their Digimon are going to end up here."

TK and Henry shot out of their chairs and shouted, "What?"

Thomas didn't move, but his eyes lifted as he said, "Excuse me?"

Angie wrote down the information.

"Yeah, uh…" Now Rhythm sounded hesitant. "It's complicated but I wasn't able to put in those constraints and, uh…" She rushed the rest of the sentence: "…and all that mess from the Quartzmon thing is sorta pulling in everyone from your worlds I originally left out."

"From our worlds?" asked TK, calming down enough to find his seat. "You mean all the digidestined around the world?"

They waited for a response from Rhythm for several seconds. Then she asked, "Is she nodding? I'm trying to make her nod." They shook their heads. "Oh. So yes, and that's most of them. Thankfully I already cut your world off so it should stop with everybody who helped out against MaloMyotismon."

Thomas looked down, scratching his chin. "MaloMyotismon? So everybody with a digivice during a world's point zero…"

"You gave it a term? Love how you're on top of things!"

"Tell me, how old will they be? If, as an example, Commander Sampson is pulled in, will he be the age he is now or the age he was six years after we beat King Drasil?"

Kari shuddered for a moment, a small tic creeping into her eye. "Oh… that felt weird," said Rhythm. "Wonder what that was. Anyway, it will be six years after their… point zero." She paused, enjoying the chance to use the new jargon. "The distortions in that world are so severe they reach through time. Maybe even into the future. I suspect even the world we visited fighting Algomon could be hit."

"But… hundreds of kids?" Henry repeated slowly. "We were expecting a couple dozen at most. Even if we cram both castles, we only have enough bed space for about 90. Where do we put them? How do we feed them? If they're international, there's a language barrier. Do you have any idea how much we have to work out?!"

"And that's why I did this. I came to give you advance warning. I should be able to do something about the language, but I'm sure you'll find a solution to everything else. You've done such wonderful work so far."

"Do you have an actual number?"

Rhythm paused for a moment, freezing Kari in place. "216," she answered. Henry closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

"I have a favor to ask that will assist you," she continued. "I understand Ceresmon has been supplying you with everything you need here. I need you to take this girl-"

"Kari," Gatomon shot back. "If you're going to take over her body, at least learn her name."

Flustered for a moment, Rhythm restarted: "I need you to take Kari to see Ceresmon so I may speak with her and prepare for the new arrivals. You'll need to find space for everybody, but at least I can make sure you'll have resources."

TK's voice raised. "You mean you're going to take control of Kari again?!"

"I don't have form on the surface, so it's the easiest way to contact you. It doesn't harm her."

"Why haven't you tried to reach us before? We have so many questions," said Thomas.

"You're doing a pretty good job on your own! But perhaps I'll drop in again sometime."

As TK cringed and held out a hand, Gatomon said, "Maybe hold off on that until we talk to Kari about it. You can't just use her like this."

"Very well. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself." Rhythm paused. "I'm sorry for putting this on you, but I know you can handle it. Thanks to you, this world is getting closer and closer to the one I dream about. I'm so proud of you all." Her words, when delivered by such a blank face, offered little reassurance.

Kari's eyes blinked and returned to normal, but looked just as lifeless. The moment she started to sway, Henry leaped out of his seat, catching her as she fell.

"Nice catch," said Angie. She only made it out two feet out of her chair. "Is she okay?"

Henry checked her face and held up an arm only to watch it drop. "She's out cold."

"She'll be all right, but we should take her to medical," said Gatomon. She and TK helped Henry get her into the chair at Davis's desk. TK wheeled it to the elevator, Gatomon jumping on Kari's lap. The two shared worried glances as they boarded.

"And if you see Tai, tell him to get his butt up here," Angie said as the doors closed.

Thomas sighed. "If they see Tai, he's following them to medical."

Henry fell into his own chair and clutched his forehead. With both Kari and the spirit possessing her gone, the surreal atmosphere shattered and left them back in cold reality. "216? How are we supposed to do this?"

"We'll work out a plan once everybody's back. Don't try to take it all on yourself. I'm confident we'll come up with a solution."

After waiting for a response that never came, Thomas swiveled back to his desk and resumed his work. Henry stared at his monitor in silence. Angie checked the massive burden written in her notes. In the weeks since she started training upstairs to become Isthmian's communications officer, she had a good feel for how things ran here. They were some of the most amazing, courageous, brilliant heroes she'd ever met. Surely they'd figure this out.

* * *

Matt Ishida tried to pay attention to the mechanics of how the kitchen was organized. He once had doubts that Mimi's system was anything resembling structural or logical, but, much like her recipes, years of impulsive experiments and countless errors had refined it into a functional layout more than adequate for herself and Tommy. Although Ewan would be donning the white hat at Isthmian, Matt knew he needed to know this stuff as both their head of operations and primary backup. Other than Mimi's frequent detours into stories about some mishap leading her to do something a certain way, the biggest distraction was Tai sitting on a countertop, watching the training with a hoagie sandwich and a giant smirk on his face.

In the middle of explaining why certain trays were stored where they were, Matt finally snapped: "Why do we need to know this? You've never been over there. We'll have to come up with our own process."

While Mimi glared back, Ewan said, "Yes, but it'll be smoother if we see how it's done here and understand Mimi's logic."

Mimi's… logic? Tai must have noticed Matt's face contort. Barely able to hold back a laugh, he roared, "Say it Matt! You know you want to!"

Instead, Matt's head snapped back to Tai. "Why are you in here anyway?"

Humming in agreement, Mimi added, "Not that I mind the company but Sora said there was a big mission today."

Tai's grin didn't budge. "Hey, they've got it figured out! I'd just be looking over everyone's shoulders and psyching them out. Thomas came up with this one anyway. Deals with the problem before it puts anyone in danger."

"You should be up there anyway," Matt said, arms folded, eyes away. "Still involves our friends fighting."

Tai narrowed his eyes at Matt. "C'mon, Sora will be fine. When I'm up there and I have to pay attention and wait for updates, that's when I get worried. Easier being down here."

Mimi coughed. "Much as I'm dying to figure out if you two are still into her, may I continue?"

"Why would you think-" Matt stopped, realizing his protest was too loud. Too late: Mimi and Ewan both raised their eyebrows. He shook his head and muttered, "Keep going."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Now, lunch isn't bad because everyone eats at different times, but the dishes pile up fast after dinner. Palmon's a great help here, but since you can't have her you'll want to find someone else. You should grab one of the new kids!"

Ewan snickered. "You don't know these new kids. Don't know if I'd trust some of them around our food."

"You told me about that one girl who's so obsessed with you. What about her?"

In an instant, Ewan's face flushed with anger, teeth bared. He leaned forward, hand balling into a fist. "Airu? Are you nuts?!" Mimi jumped back. "I don't want to be anywhere near her! She's selfish, conniving…" He exhaled before turning to Tai. "Is there a way you can keep us in separate castles?"

Both Tai and Matt were too busy staring at Ewan's sudden and uncharacteristic mood shift to respond. "If Airu's going to Isthmian, I want to stay here. Matt can cook."

That at least snapped Matt back into reality: "Not a chance."

Tai just shook his head, trying to conceal a smile. "Wow, she's really made an impression. Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll fall for Matt instead."

Matt turned to him, teeth clenched. "Why me?!"

Smile exposed, Tai answered, "Gotta admit you do attract some crazies."

Ewan furrowed his eyebrows. "Hey, my sister… kinda proves your point I guess. But Airu's on another level!"

"How bad? Can't be worse than Davis's sister."

"Do you like horror movies?"

His question froze all three digidestined and probably drove the point home. But Matt, after darting his eyes between Tai and Mimi, blurted, "I try to watch movies that are actually good."

Tai and Mimi stared at each other, both side-eying Matt once before smirking. "What Matt's trying to say is he's the biggest wuss in the world when it comes to scary movies," said Tai.

"Go back upstairs!"

Sandwich finished, Tai surrendered and jumped off the counter. "All right, all right." He watched Matt for a moment, still with a smile full of youth and mischief. "You know you're gonna miss us once you're up there."

Even after the door closed behind Tai, Matt stared at it. The second crack at settling Isthmian sounded great on paper: a major position, an opportunity to extend their reach in the world, the chance to befriend and guide the new arrivals, and a clean break from everyone who hurt him in the past.

He must have stared too long, because Mimi said, "He's right, isn't he?" Her words didn't come from mockery or amusement. If anything, they were sympathetic. She knew the answer. So did Matt.

Not that he would ever respond that way: "Well, keep going. I don't want to be here all afternoon."

* * *

Sora Takenouchi stared at her half-consumed glass of milk with nervous suspicion. Her first exposure to milk in the Digital World had been when she was 14 visiting a saloon with Davis, Yolei, and Cody. The buzz was weak but tangible, and she had been leery of it ever since. Initially, nobody challenged her effort to keep it out of the castle without proper filtering; most didn't know it was a thing. Once word spread, her temperance movement became harder to justify. Now that they were growing older, a growing consensus said they should have the right to enjoy the benefits of adulthood, so long as they did so responsibly. It wasn't that Sora resented those who pushed for this change or even disagreed all that strongly with the eventual policies enacted. But it was a change, and one she resisted and wound up losing.

For all the jokes everyone made about her being the mom of the group, she embraced the role for all of the loving imagery attached to it. But she knew full well how controlling and uptight mothers could be, and how there would inevitably come a time to let go and let their children fly on their own. With half the castle's residents moving out in two weeks, with its own less-maternal types in charge of hospitality, was this really what she wanted to be known as for the rest of her life? Mind lost in these thoughts, she took a long drink.

"There you go! Chug it!" Takuya laughed as he scooted next to her, his back testing the straw wall's stability. The Deramon didn't have tables in the hut, but it didn't prevent the team from segregating into their usual groups. Takato and Mikey were nearest to them with Guilmon and Shoutmon, while Rika and Yolei joined the team's transport specialists Davis and Ken (Veemon and Wormmon, more accurately). Keenan, Falcomon, and Hawkmon hung out with the Deramon serving the milk. With all these options, Sora didn't understand why Takuya would join her and Biyomon, and didn't respond to his prodding.

Takuya persisted. "What's wrong? You really worrying about the move? 'Cause you can leave that to me."

His confident smile only annoyed her more. "I'm worried about you not being worried. You've got so much left to do and you're going to fall even more behind if we keep getting sent out like this." She squinted at him. "You're not even upset about missing that last shot. That's not like you."

In looking away from her, Takuya's eyes found Takato's. Takato perked up and gave a slight nod. Takuya returned it and stood straight, eyes scanning the room before he coughed to signal everyone's attention. It took a few tries before Yolei shut up.

Loud enough to reach the whole room, Takuya said, "Hey, so great job everyone. We really crushed it today. Um… so I was going to do this back at the castle but since we're all out here anyway, and with drinks, figure it would be a good time."

Sora turned away from him to see if anyone else knew what he was going on about. Takato had an expectant grin while Davis nodded along. Everyone else was as confused as she was.

"So obviously we all know what's happening in a couple weeks and how much work we have to put into it, so I was talking it over with the guys upstairs and uh…" Takuya took a deep breath. "This was my last job for the response team."

While Sora gasped, other than a few raised eyebrows nobody else had much of a response. Takuya continued, "Yeah, it's nothing but the move from here on out for me. I, uh…" He scratched his head, struggling to come up with the words. "It's weird leaving this, you know? Last time it was so spur of the moment I didn't really think about it but now… how long have we been doing this? Like right after Davis's guys got here I think. What's that, nine years? To help make it happen and be with it almost this whole time and now…" Takuya blinked several times, his lip quivering.

With a quick break, he managed to recover: "But yeah, you think about all those fights and missions. With Takato… Yolei…" He raised his glass at each of them. "Wish Koji and Cody were here." He snickered. "Or God, those early days with Kazu." Yolei tried, and failed, to hold in laughter. Takuya joined her. "We were kind of a mess." He sighed as the laughs subsided. "But hey, we figured it out. We ended up making a hell of a team. And we saved a lot of lives."

Sora thought she saw a tear in his eye, but he turned to Takato before she could be sure. "Takato, you're going to be an awesome captain. And you're totally due, buddy."

Takato nodded at the scattered applause, then raised his drink and said, "To the response team."

Everybody clinked glasses, including Takuya and Sora. She watched him carefully as they sipped their milk. There was definitely wetness in those eyes. No wonder he insisted on post-mission drinks. And to think she had fought him on it.

"That was…" She fished for a way to express her surprise without being rude.

"That was a mess," he said with a snicker. "I'm pretty bad at sentimental."

"It was nice." Sora stared into her drink. "I don't see that side of you very often."

"What, nice?" Her face flushed, darting up to see how offended he was, only to find him chuckling.

"I mean you're… admitting it's hard to let go of some of this. You're not racing out the door without thinking."

"You mean like last time?" Sora turned away; she didn't mean to be so blunt. He sighed. "That's the thing about actually having to plan this. I have to think about all the stuff I'm used to here. Even if we can get it over there, I still have to set it up and make sure it works."

She nodded along. "Jeri and Henry do a lot to keep everything running."

"Yeah, or why the officers are organized the way they are. Man, I wish I'd paid attention back when we were setting all that up."

"But you are now. And you know, that's not a bad thing." Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe you'll appreciate what Tai goes through."

"Yeah, but that's not who I am. I'd rather be out here doing this kind of stuff." He frowned, looking across the hut at the others still in oblivious celebration. "I was kinda dreading this. I knew it would be my last run. I know how much I have left to do before we go. It's going to suck."

"Maybe, but maybe you need to branch out like this. Get uncomfortable. Grow a bit. We're getting older now. Some of us have to be adults. Especially with these new kids showing up."

With another sigh, Takuya turned back to Sora. The sternness in her eyes was hard to break away from. He rarely got lectures from Sora, certainly less often than he deserved. They just weren't close enough, and she had bigger things to concern herself with than another idiot leader. So unless it involved him endangering somebody she cared about, she never confronted him. Whether or not he'd get anything out of her unsolicited life advice, he at least appreciated that she would offer it to him.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, non-committal. "But you're right though… last mission for a team I've spent years on…" He shook his head and smiled at her. "How the hell could I miss that last shot?"

* * *

Izzy Izumi remained parked in front of his laptop, scrutinizing the lines of code with a mix of obsessive interest and mild frustration. The contents came from a server hidden beneath a metal plate embedded into the floor of a giant printing house. He could tell the code was for a website, but the actual text identifying what kind came from a different file he hadn't found yet. Browsing the file directory didn't help and the easiest solution was stubbornly out of reach for the most irritating of reasons.

"What's the verdict?" Cody asked, standing nearby, voice slightly raised.

"I can't view this page unless I update my browser." Izzy tried to point out the problem as objectively as he could, but his annoyance still crept in. Without web access, he couldn't update his browser. Without the update, it would take him forever to decipher the contents of this server.

He didn't have forever. "So do we take it or not? Make a call already!" Sparrowmon maintained cover fire over the four Sagittarimon trying to drive the trespassers out of their giant printing house, pinning them in a corner of the shop floor.

"And how do we get out if we do take it?" Tentomon added. The only free exit was not large enough to fit a Digimon capable of hauling the giant black tablet and there were already enough ethical questions about searching the habitats of innocent Digimon to get too violent.

Kazemon rushed through the door of that exit and slammed it behind her, turning back into Zoe as she braced it shut. "Whelp… we're surrounded." An explosion on the other side of the wall shook the whole building. "Tankmon, really?"

"It must be important if it's so well guarded," Izzy mused, not taking his eyes off the screen in spite of the commotion.

Nene patted his shoulder, lightly jerking him away. "Get Kabuterimon to help out while I have a look." Her gentle, yet forceful, voice startled Izzy enough to pull him into action. She crouched down in front of the computer as Tentomon digivolved behind her.

By the time Izzy returned, he saw Nene's fingers fly across the touchpad, opening assorted folders. "Do you know what you're doing?" he asked, uneasy about her touching his computer.

"This script is after your time, isn't it?" Nene entered a few keystrokes and her search filled with files. She instructed the operating system to open the top file with a word processor.

An entirely different unease swept over him. "Nene… you can read code?"

She turned to him with a practiced smile, ignoring the deep red in his cheeks. "One of those things you learn as an idol."

"That makes no sense," Cody muttered.

Nene returned her eyes to the monitor. "It does when your manager's too cheap to hire someone to run your website." The file opened, revealing mostly clean text with only a few formatting tags. "Anyway…"

She turned back to Izzy. He was still staring at her. She patted his cheek. "Don't worry, I'm not stealing your job. You can do the honors."

Izzy stammered at first until Zoe shouted, "Quit gawking, Izzy! Presto!" Another blast against the wall punctuated her command.

This snapped him out of it enough to read the screen: "Let's see… 'The Nikkei index continued its two-week slide Tuesday with an eight percent drop…'"

"A stock report?" Nene asked while keeping an eye on Sparrowmon's gunfire.

Still scanning the article, Izzy shook his head. "It's a news story." He minimized the window and looked over the files Nene retrieved. "It's a lot of news stories."

"From the real world?" Nene held a finger up. "Human world?" she corrected without pausing.

"Apparently…"

"Which one?" Cody asked.

Another blast buckled the hinges on Zoe's door. "Seriously guys!" she shouted.

Izzy modified the search to add the word "monster." Fifty files remained: news stories from a real world including the word "monster." Some of them were bound to be irrelevant, but Izzy knew he needed to check them all.

Later, of course. "Taking it!" he ordered.

Cody and Nene sprung into action, digivolving Armadillomon to Ankylomon and reloading Mervamon and Beelzemon. After Izzy disconnected his laptop and returned it to his backpack, Nene's Digimon hoisted the heavy server tablet onto Cody's partner's back.

"Still one problem," Nene said, darting her head between the weakening door Zoe had now backed away from and the shop floor where Sagittarimon were ready to pounce with the slightest break in cover. "Well, two problems. Which way do we leave?"

As Izzy and the Digimon finished loading, Zoe ran across to Sparrowmon and surveyed the situation.

"Careful, Zoe," Cody urged as Ankylomon took two slow steps towards them.

"Sorry- Execute! Beast Spirit Evolution!" Zoe became Zephyrmon and flew over the adjacent printing press. She had to dodge a few enemy arrows, but she dove after the massive roll of newsprint near them. "Plasma Paws!" After slicing through the supports, an additional nudge sent the roll rolling toward the Sagittarimon. The momentum knocked them over and pinned them to the opposite wall.

"Go!" Sparrowmon shouted. The entire party scrambled past them through the shop, Beelzemon and Mervamon flanking Ankylomon and the tablet as the Sagittarimon struggled to move the giant roll of paper. Far behind them, the Tankmon finally blew the door off its hinges.

By the time the Sagittarimon freed themselves, Izzy had already jammed the button opening the large warehouse door on the other end, relieved nobody was on the other side.

"Look out!" Zephyrmon shouted, her aerial vantage point allowing her to see Tankmon launch his attack. Everybody heeded, ducking or covering as necessary, but the missile collided with the newsprint just pushed away. The entire roll burst into flame, distracting the Sagittarimon enough for the team to escape into the surrounding meadow.

They ran fifty yards past the building, stopping only when a pair of thick trees offered them some cover. Kabuterimon and Zephyrmon returned to their smaller forms while everyone caught their breath. "That was fun," Nene said, a coy smile emerging between huffs.

Zoe looked back at the factory. Black smoke streamed out the open door. "I thought the plan was for us _not_ to see a ton of action."

"For this, it might be worth it," said Izzy, fighting the urge to plug his laptop back into the stolen tablet. "If this place does have a parallel human world, this could really help us find out about it." This was the main objective of the re-formed investigation team: discovering everything they could about the nature of this world and its connections to others. It wasn't their fault this exploration often led them into hostile territory.

"Well if we keep ending up in fights like this, can we convince one of the new kids to join us?" Zoe asked. Nene nodded in agreement.

"It's worth discussing. But that was a very clever move to get us out of there, Zoe," Izzy said, flashing a smile.

Now her face flushed and it was her turn to stammer. Nene piled on, adding, "Zoe's become quite adept at combat situations, hasn't she?" Izzy nodded, his smile widening as her blush grew.

As they fought off laughter, Tankmon wheeled out the door. "Think we ought to keep moving," Cody said with urgency.

Nene saw the Tankmon and casually replied, "Yes, probably a good idea."

* * *

Angie Hinomoto cursed herself for losing track of time the one day she couldn't afford to. She also cursed Jeremy and Kenta and their mind-numbingly geeky argument about which installment of Age of Conquerors had the better combat system. She hadn't heard of the game, but both cited so many details about probability, mechanics, and historical accuracy with such fervor the conversation transfixed her. So much she forgot she needed to be upstairs for her first solo shift at Kari's station.

When Angie took the job helping Kenta maintain the habitat where the Digimon spent most of their time, her concern had been finding herself a role in a community of world savers, all of whom had done more to save their worlds than her. She was happy for anything. Twenty months and several learning experiences later, she realized a bond with a Digimon partner wasn't the only way to be a prominent part of the castle. Jeri Katou lost hers years before arriving and was secretly one of its cornerstones. Angie was an afterthought of a general/hunter/digidestined, but she had plenty of other skills. Considering the rest of the castle, she liked her chances of using them to ascend the ladder.

The first attempt to settle Isthmian had been organized by a bunch of numbskulls and it showed. This second attempt had more time and more intelligent people insisting on being part of the process and thus had real potential. At the same time, once they cast off it would be mostly the same numbskulls running the show. After Jeremy told her Zoe had no interest running communications for them, she used every connection she had to get trained for the job. After months of putting up with Kari holding her hand through every step and TK's snark, their visit to Ceresmon opened the door for her to run the show alone for the first time.

Yet here she was, racing through the library, praying Kari and TK hadn't already left. Right before she veered around the stage, she made the mistake of looking down the main hall, stopping in her tracks at the lone figure seated alone at the far end. The tower of brown hair was undoubtedly Tai's, as was his pensive stare upwards. After witnessing what happened to his sister the day before, and how they were throwing her into a situation knowing it would happen again, she understood.

Despite her tardiness, she now had to contend with her conscience, a nagging voice on her shoulder poking at her with repeated chants of "I can't turn my back on him!" Angie could distance herself from Mikey. She could never escape his mantra. Grumbling to herself the whole way, she approached him.

"Jeez, don't freak out," she said, dropping into the chair next to him. "TK and Davis are with her. You know they're not gonna let anything happen." She realized she probably shouldn't be so harsh. This was his family.

He blinked twice before turning to her, pausing for a moment before snickering. "No… I hate having to think about it but that's something we've dealt with before. I'm more worried about what she had to say."

"Oh, all those new kids?" she said with a hint of disgust. This wasn't the conversation she'd signed up for. This one was complicated, and destined to make her even more late. "Yeah, that's going to be rough."

Tai leaned back slightly, adding a tiny cock of the eyebrow. Then he forced a chuckle. "But hey, we'll figure it out, right? I mean, we did fine when you guys showed up, didn't we?"

"Well, I mean… you did show up on a giant scary dragon we didn't know was friendly, separated our leader from us, made us follow total strangers who barely answered any questions, threw us in other people's clothes and stuck us on couches and sleeping bags for the first couple nights…" Angie didn't realize the extent of her rambling until noticing the horrified look on Tai's face. She threw up her hands. "But sure, it was fine!"

After an eternal pause, he slowly nodded. "Yeah… we just need to extend that same kind of welcome hospitality to all these new kids."

"Yeah!" She joined in the nod, adding "All 216 of them!" amid nervous laughter that he shared.

They indulged for a while before letting it subside naturally. Then Angie dropped it: "You have no idea what to do, do you?"

"No, we'll…" Staring into her eyes made it hard for Tai to perpetuate his fake confidence, but he sure tried: "We'll figure something out. We go two to a room here and we can fit almost fifty. And Isthmian holds almost that many. So that's a bunch right there. So then we just uh… yeah."

She nodded along, but said, "You're gonna have to do better than 'yeah.'"

He broke his stare, eying the stage and the door. "Did you, uh, need me for something?"

Angie frowned. She didn't appreciate such obvious deflection, but pushing the commander any further wasn't likely to help her prospects. "No. Just, uh-"

"I should get back upst-"

"Upstairs!" she blurted, popping out of her chair. "I'm super late now! Guh, Thomas and Henry are going to kill me!"

She dashed for a few steps before Tai called back, "Hey, I'll cover for you." He joined her, walking with her toward the elevator at an appropriate pace. "Like I said, I need to get back too."

"Thanks," she said after a relieved sigh. "First time by myself on the radar. Can't believe I'm late."

"Don't worry about it." The elevator doors opened and they boarded. As Tai pushed the button for the top floor, he added, "You had something more important to do."

* * *

Davis Motomiya was more excited to see Ceresmon's massive body up close than anything else on the trip. Her size put even Imperialdramon to shame, enough that if not for the trees covering her back it would have been able to land comfortably. Instead, it had to find enough of a clearing for Kari, TK, Davis, Ken, Gatomon, and Patamon to hop off, then to revert back to Veemon and Wormmon close enough for them to land safely.

"This would have been a lot easier with Yolei and Aquilamon," Davis moaned. In fact, both Yolei and Keenan would have been more practical choices to accompany Kari/Rhythm on her audience with Ceresmon, but they were still stationed at the Deramon village and this felt urgent. Even in the middle of the day, the canopy from the forest cast Ceresmon's surface in darkness. The ground soaked everyone's feet, enough that Wormmon insisted on riding Ken's shoulder.

Patting his partner's head, Ken asked, "So how are we supposed to find her medium?"

No one noticed Kari stop until they were several steps past her. When they looked back, Rhythm had taken over. "Follow me," she said, veering them to the right. TK hesitated, staring at her for a long time before Patamon urged him forward.

Ceresmon's Medium form appeared precisely where Rhythm had led them. The three boys were taken aback by what appeared to be a beautiful woman covered only in roots, vines, and flowers. "What brings you here?"

Staring at Ceresmon with her glassy eyes, Rhythm said, "I am the master of creation and destruction, of heaven and earth, of life and death, and of light and darkness."

The provider fell to a knee. "Your Worship."

Rhythm turned to TK, voice suddenly filling with glee. "I can get used to this!" TK saw into Kari's eyes and looked away.

She returned to Ceresmon, pausing for a moment, likely failing to produce another gesture. "My deepest thanks for providing for these humans all these years. However, I'm here to ask even more of you. So much that I felt it appropriate to borrow Kari here in order to make the request personally."

With a scoff, TK turned away, returning to the edge of the forest. Davis took a few steps after him. "What's the matter, TK?" asked Patamon.

"Is this a joke to her?" TK spat. "She's taking control of Kari and we're just supposed to be okay with it? I can't watch this."

Even if his words were for Patamon, it was answer enough for Davis and he shrugged it off. It was an odd sight, and of course the natural worry for Kari's safety was present. But while Rhythm's cheerful informality bothered TK, Davis found it fascinating. This was the same strange girl he and the other leaders had met, and everything in her word choice and tone were clearly her despite coming out of Kari. It felt unreal. It felt dangerous. It felt like something Davis couldn't possibly turn away from.

The only thing he didn't fixate on was Rhythm's actual message to Ceresmon and the reply. It was a professional conversation despite Rhythm's occasional cheery asides. Maybe that was why Davis was surprised when it suddenly ended, as Ceresmon bended her knee once again before vanishing. Rhythm made a rather mechanical turn towards Davis and Ken.

"Did you get all that?" asked Rhythm.

Davis rubbed his neck. "Uh, actually I kinda tuned out there."

With a quick chortle, she said, "Right?! Spend most of my life in solitude and suddenly I have to be this serious negotiator?"

Shaking his head and turning away, Davis could only smile. "Man, this is nuts!"

Ken cleared his throat, still staring at Kari. His expression would have been far better suited to play serious negotiator. "I understood it as our open order for Isthmian supplies will delay the provisions we need for the additional arrivals. We'll get the order Jeri placed on schedule, but the rest won't get here until much later."

"That about covers it. Did the best I could but we're cutting it close."

"Well great then!" Davis said, still grinning. "Back to Kari?"

Rhythm hesitated, finally replying with less cheer. "I guess. Thank you for your assistance."

"Hey, pop in anytime!"

Ken raised a hand. "Um, actually…" He stopped once Rhythm relinquished control, leaving Kari to fall forward into his and Davis's arms. They looked at each other, Davis answering Ken's worried stare with a smile and a nod where TK waited. It took them a couple tries to find the best way to carry her there.

Aboard Imperialdramon, she regained consciousness long enough for Gatomon to tell her to rest, which she was happy to do. TK continued to keep his distance, stroking Patamon with his back to her. Davis joined him while Ken and Gatomon watched over Kari. He needed to crane his neck to catch TK's dour expression as he stared at the plains below them.

"Kari's a tough girl," Davis said. "This is nothing for her."

TK's head gave a slight shake. "We just threw her to the wolves." Louder, he gestured towards her, adding, "And how do you know this is nothing? This can't be good for her. Why are we allowing it?"

"C'mon, it's Rhythm. She wouldn't hurt us."

"If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be here in the first place!"

"So?" Davis shrugged. "I like it here. I got nothing to complain about."

TK raised his eyebrows. "You weren't trapped in a tube for eight years."

"Right there, better than back home!" Davis's smile faded. "Look, Rhythm seemed like a sweet girl. And she really likes us! Hey, I care about Kari too, but… we can trust her. We gotta, right? Isn't she like a god or something?"

Turning away, TK glared skyward. "We've done her enough favors. We don't owe her anything." He inhaled deeply. "Especially Kari."

* * *

Jeri Katou wasn't used to an entourage during river order pickups. Sometimes she even had trouble rounding up enough help for one order. That had been the case for the shipment a couple days earlier when all the additional furniture and equipment to be taken to Isthmian arrived. She only had Takuya and Sora on board for that one, and getting everything on board the Trailmon took forever. That wasn't going to be a problem here, as Tai, Henry, Matt, Takato, Suzie and all of their partners were ready to assist with the arrival of Rhythm's supplemental order for all of the new arrivals.

Nobody knew quite what would be on the barge, or even how many barges would float down. Somehow it was supposed to be enough to feed, cloth, and shelter the hundreds of unexpected new kids. Suzie cracked a joke about whether the river would be wide enough or if there was even room on the train. Nobody laughed.

At least the new spur line between the castle's existing platform to the edge of the river was in place. Instead of having to haul everything back to the castle—torture with large orders—they only had to pull the shipment to the Trailmon waiting twenty yards away. Given how vital it seemed now, Jeri still found it surprising how contentious the construction of this track, and another branch to the grove where new teams arrived, became. Segments ran through thick woods and trees needed to come down, which meant disrupting established Digimon communities, even more than the long connection to Isthmian. The ethical debate divided both the officers and the six leaders, ending in a narrow but rare and surprising loss for Tai's position and a shiny new set of Trailmon tracks.

Multiple Trailmon waited for the shipment to arrive while Ikkakumon floated in the river to guide the barges to port. Matt checked his digivice. "Well come on," he said impatiently. "These kids will be here any day now and we have to sort through everything."

Gabumon pointed. "Here they come." The humans didn't notice the first barge until a minute later. Its contents were the smallest, containing small crates of various sizes. As much as Jeri wanted to catalog everything, the second barge right behind carried eight full-size shipping containers. A third followed holding the same.

Jeri and Takato tied the first to the dock and Ikkakumon kept the second and third in place. "I'm going to see what's in these!" Henry shouted. He undid the security latches and pulled the handle, his face lighting up when he saw the markings on the sixteen boxes inside. "Emergency shelters," he called back. "They're like a private living space." He closed the door and hopped off the barge. "If that's what's in all of these, there's enough for everybody."

Tai repositioned the box in his hands and smiled back. "Well that's helpful. No idea where we can put them, but those'll go a long way."

Takato snickered. "Hey Tai, now we need Koichi to go really big on this year's Ceresmon festival."

"For sure!"

Jeri couldn't fend off a grin, but otherwise kept her composure to say, "Okay, let's get these smaller boxes on board before we worry about those."

Between six humans and five Digimon, they unloaded the first barge quickly. Matt, Jeri, and Gabumon picked up the last crate as Henry and Terriermon placed another on the train for Suzie and Lopmon to check in and pack. Tai surveyed the massive containers next to Greymon. "Hey Takato? Might need Growlmon for these."

Takato squinted at the flat boat. "That won't sink it?"

As they puzzled it over, a shadow fell over Matt and Jeri. It wasn't a cloud, however. It was a Digimon, flapping its wings over them, staring straight down at her. Its flaps slowed and a sharp pulsing white light appeared past its forehead. Jeri froze, but only for a moment, before mumbling, "We need to get off this boat." Matt glanced up for just a moment before his fear lent him the strength to pull the crate to shore.

They dropped it on the dock, ran an additional ten feet and dove to the ground as Ikkakumon saw the same thing and dove underwater. "Incoming!" Matt shouted.

The beam struck a fuel canister on the barge and seemed to work in slow motion, piercing the deck for a full two seconds before it ignited in a white flame that engulfed the entire ship in seconds. As Matt and Jeri slowly rose to their feet, the others approached them with caution.

"Oh no!" Jeri shouted as the flames drifted closer to the crate they had just unloaded. She ran up to it and dragged it away, barely able to budge it. Gabumon offered help once he was up.

Henry froze as his eyes drifted skyward and saw the Digimon swooping down. "No! Get back!" he cried. Suzie had gotten ahead of him. He ran up and dragged her to the ground, covering her head as the massive bird collided with the barge, shooting white-hot scraps of metal in every direction. Matt ran up to Gabumon at the moment of impact. Tai and Takato's instincts kicked in and they dove in for the rescue. Everyone suffered only minor cuts, with Henry atop Suzie, Takato atop Jeri, and Tai atop Matt.

Rolling off his sister, Henry pulled out his D-Power and a card. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

Suzie crawled over him and grabbed the card, swiping it through her own. "What he said!" Their partners evolved to Ultimate on cue.

"Bunny Blades!" Antylamon wasted no time launching her attack at the enemy, which dodged it and dove straight at the charging Rapidmon, knocking him into the river. Before anyone else could respond, it charged up another beam attack. This one targeted the second barge.

"Stop him!" yelled Tai, but it ignored the paltry attacks from the two remaining Rookies and even Greymon's Nova Blast. Everyone helplessly watched the beam warp the containers before striking a fuel line and sending the whole ship up in a blinding explosion.

Since it had to hover long enough to get its shot off, Matt got a better look at the attacker. Its gold armor covered most of its body, even the large wings protruding from its back, the only contrast came from its silver helmet and oversized talons on its arms and legs. Matt also saw it sizing up the third ship.

"Gabumon, we have to stop it!"

"Whatever you need, Matt!" Gabumon replied. What Matt needed was a Warp Digivolution. He got it.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" MetalGarurumon launched his attack from the ground as the enemy flew into range to target the remaining boat. The blast of ice only connected with its legs and hindquarters, which for a moment knocked it out of the sky. As it flapped its wings to regain some uneven control, MetalGarurumon made his move and launched after it, getting into position and firing his full missile payload at his wobbly foe.

The enemy didn't shake off its freezing limbs as much as it accounted for them, and the new rival in the skies. Instead of charging up its beam, it dove straight at the barge. Some of the missiles followed it.

"Wait! No!" Tai shouted. He had worked Greymon to WarGreymon to intercept, but the munitions tailing the enemy made it too dangerous to intervene, and his partner's range attack was too massive and took too long to charge for it to be of use. He had to watch as the golden bird cut off his diving attack, pulling up at the last second as the missiles obliterated the third boat. The attacker stopped for a moment to make sure the job had been done, then dashed.

"Let's get him!" WarGreymon shouted, but heard no response. "Tai?" Tai could only stare at the smoldering barge, numb to his partner's pleas. MetalGarurumon pursued once he could get through the smoke, but he would never catch up.

Takato ran to Tai, pausing for another explosion from the third boat. By now, black smoke had filled the sky, raining down enough ash to prompt him to pull his goggles over his eyes. He looked back to make sure Jeri was safe and keeping up, then reached Tai and asked, "Who was that?" Tai only shook his head, squinting at the wreckage as the debris in the air made his eyes water.

"Eaglemon," said Jeri, holding up a display on her D-Power. "Mega level. Digivolves from Parrotmon."

"Parrotmon?" Takato looked back at her, concern on his face. "You mean-"

"Guys?" Henry called out, running up to them, escorting a coughing Suzie on his right, Lopmon using her ears to shield her from ash. To his left, Terriermon, water-logged and barely conscious, rode atop Guilmon. "We need to get out of here."

"But-"

"I called for support. They're sending whoever they can to help control the fires. But it's not safe here."

Suzie coughed again. Tai nodded. "Agreed." He turned to the four tamers. "We don't want to risk what we did get on board." He found Matt at the edge of the inferno, shielding his eyes and trying to pick out his partner in the thick black sky. "Hey Matt!"

"I'm staying here," he replied, not looking back. "Gotta wait for MetalGarurumon."

Tai heaved a sigh, but didn't feel like picking a fight. "Okay, fine, you and Gomamon wait for the support to get here." He glanced at Takato and added, "But here…" When Matt turned, Tai whipped off his goggles and tossed them to his teammate. "Keep yourself safe." Matt caught them, eyes widening at Tai. By then, he and the tamers had already turned for the train.

On board, everyone stared at the blaze as the Trailmon stuttered into motion. After a long silence, Henry pounded the plexiglass window in anger. "How did that happen?" he spat.

"Henry…" Suzie leaned in and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Was that really Parrotmon from before?" asked Takato. "Wouldn't we keep track of someone like that?"

Tai nodded. "Should, yeah," he said absent-mindedly.

Shaking his head, a snarl on his lips, Henry muttered, "Well, why didn't Kari let us know-"

"Hey!" Now Tai's head and voice snapped at Henry. "Don't blame this on-"

"Okay, hey, guys!" Takato jumped between them, raising his arms. "Not a good time to start pointing fingers. Can't it wait?"

Both men nodded and took a breath to calm down. Henry's next words were still biting. "But look, this is really bad."

"Yeah…" said Tai. The particles in his eyes kept his lids half-shut, with frequent blinks. "No place to put them. No shelter for them. We don't even know if we got enough food and clothes on board."

"When are they getting here?" asked Jeri.

"Any day now."

"Takato." Guilmon's call was short, clipped, and higher in pitch. Everyone turned to find all four Digimon pressed against the window, their pupils constricted. The humans ran to them, trying to see what they were responding to. They stared at a fixed point in the southern sky. It took a moment for their eyes to focus, made harder by the train's motion, but they could make out the tiniest swirling of digital data high in the air.

"W-what is that?" Lopmon asked. "And why can I not look away?"

"It's the start of the distortion stream," said Tai, voice hushed. "They're not here any day." He gulped. "They're here any hour."

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 2:** **"Paradise"**  
Daigo is surprised to find his team reunited six years later, now surrounded by two hundred others. Haru takes in all the new faces and developments while worrying about the fate of his work to revive Yuujin. Unsettled by how little information they're getting, Ren and Ryouma take matters into their own hands.

" _There_ _'s too much out there trying to play God for us to join in."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** In the world, the events of Neverworld would have started in July 2016 (based on the timing of Marine Day in Japan, per Xros Wars). The story ends in early November, with the epilogue a few weeks later. This story begins in March 2018, six years after the date Hunters finished airing in Japan.

Because of this time jump, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect everybody to stay put in their jobs, especially with the way certain plots played out. The big changes are Rika leaving patrol for the response team, Ryo and Mikey replacing her on patrol (the latter temporarily), and Izzy re-forming the investigation team. There will be more shifting later, so none of that's too important.

Rhythm, revealed as one of the world's creators in episode 25 last season, will be featured more as a character this time around. The nature of Ceresmon was discussed in episode 17.

Cutting off the introduction of new digidestined after MaloMyotismon's defeat is something Rhythm likely did after the Zero Two kids arrived out of concern for how many eligible arrivals there could be in the future. Anybody arriving next chapter will have been digidestined during Zero Two. This spares us the need to worry about whether stuff like Jun as a digidestined should be taken as canon or not, and allows us to safely ignore the upcoming Adventure project for purposes of this story. I pulled it off last time with tri. and Appmon; I'm not pushing my luck again!

Last season's epilogue confirmed that Lopmon was reborn.

I can't recall any specific place Eaglemon was featured in the anime (which means it was probably part of a supporting army in Fusion), but that's the dub name for Crossmon.

And finally, throwing this reminder out since it'll be even more important this season, but the Adventure eight were pulled in here right after he reboot while the Zero Two kids a few years later. Yes, the implications are staggering.


	2. Paradise

**Nexusworld**

 _Everybody_ _'s saying it ain't so bad._  
 _But beneath the static screams the truth._  
 _That you're desperate, weak, and compulsively sink_  
 _Into anything to rule out delusion._  
 _\- Bear Ghost, "Paradise"_

 **Episode 2**

Daigo Nishijima fell asleep angry at himself for letting another anniversary slip away. Six years after his team's journey in the Digital World, it didn't sit right with him to endure such a traumatic experience together, then drift apart like nothing had happened. He only regularly kept touch with one of his teammates. If she was any indication, he should have done more to check up on the other three. Daigo wished there was a way to look everybody up, but he had nothing to go off of. He swore he'd do a thorough investigation one day, but he never got far. Even if he knew what schools they attended, how could he get phone numbers? His last thought before drifting to sleep was dreaming of a future with some sort of network for long-distance social interactions.

Of course he'd dream about the Digital World. He often did, glorifying their successes and imagining how they could have turned their failures around. He saw his teammates, but they were older than he remembered them, and not in the way he pictured. One lost weight, or rather shaped it into muscle. One hit her growth spurt. One was amidst a bad attempt at facial hair. They were also in their bedclothes, definitely not something Daigo would have chosen to visualize. Of course, he too had on the same rose and gray striped pajamas he wore to bed, with only two unexpected accessories: the digivice in his pocket and the goggles around his neck.

They weren't alone. Other than his teammates, he didn't recognize any of the people surrounding him. At least a hundred, maybe two or three, all stood around a thin grove of cedar trees. Some were also in bedclothes, many weren't. Some were Japanese, many weren't. Most looked to be older teenagers like him and his team, but Daigo spotted a few adult heads poking over everyone and heard the nervous moan of a small child above the increasingly rowdy horde. A Digimon partner accompanied most of them.

This sent Daigo looking around frantically until he spotted the little gray bear with the blue cap and shoulder belt. When Bearmon saw his partner, his face lit up and took two awkward steps towards him. By that time, Daigo was already on him, crouching down and pulling him into his arms with a childlike grin. Dream or not, the excitement of seeing his old friend again was too real and he couldn't wait to plunge his face into his buddy's thick, coarse fur.

"Whoa, whoa! Careful!" Daigo pulled away on Bearmon's cry. When he wobbled a bit; Daigo grabbed his paw to keep him upright. "I haven't been on two legs in years. Gotta get used to this again."

"You've been Baihumon this whole time?"

"Yeah, haven't you heard? We're the Harmonious Ones, keeping the world in balance!" Bearmon pretended to flex his arms. "Nothing can stop us!"

Daigo chuckled at his partner's confidence. "Great. What are we doing here?"

"No idea!" Daigo grumbled.

Plenty of the surrounding kids were in the middle of tearful reunions with their partners. Even two of the adult women nearby bent over to embrace their partners: two large chess pawns. Others had gotten the sentimentality out of the way and moved on to worrying about their situation. Either they weren't as emotional about their partnerships as Daigo's team, recognized the oddity of the circumstances and the need to be on guard, or they were never ripped away from their Digimon in the first place.

His team was still in the reunion phase, talking to their partners and trying to get a vague idea of what was going on. The one exception was the one he dreaded. Her head darted around, tracking every inch of the grove, searching for one thing. Any happiness from Daigo's own reunion sank into a sympathetic misery. The frantic hunt didn't last long. Maki's movements slowed, a shiver sweeping across her. She rubbed her arms as her eyes twitched. Daigo wasn't sure whether she was cold in her camisole and tiny shorts or a gale of reality swept past her. Either way, he walked up to her, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her in.

"No sign of him?" he asked.

"Of course not," Maki replied, fighting off tears. "What's happening?"

"Wish I knew. Don't think anyone else knows either." With a sad chuckle, he added, "You know all the times you dreamed about a do-over?"

She shoved her way out, turned around, and folded her arms. "I'm ready to wake up now."

Were she really asleep, the train whistle that followed would have done the trick. It hushed the mob, enough for Daigo to hear the locomotive chugging along tracks. Nobody moved, except to look around for a consensus over whether the smart move was to run toward or away from it.

As they listened to the train slow and then screech to a halt, one boy got tired of waiting. He didn't just run to the train, he galloped, goggles reflecting the sunlight atop a red tuft of otherwise brown hair. Mid-stride, he held out what appeared to be a digivice, but bulkier and dark red. From it, a purple Digimon, one of the many in the grove Daigo didn't recognize, emerged and ran with the boy stride for stride.

Apparently, this was the answer the crowd was looking for as they followed, almost in unison, at a cautious walking pace. Daigo took Maki's hand, nodded to the rest of his team, and joined in. Maki withdrew her hand but still followed him out of the grove into a large grassy clearing.

Eight signs and colored flags atop temporary poles stretched across the field. Five signs had pictures of the digivice Daigo was familiar with and one or more Earth continents. The others had only foreign digivices, one with three. On one end, the train, rather a Digimon resembling a locomotive, rested as three humans and three Digimon disembarked one of the long line of passenger cars behind it.

As they scaled a ladder to the top of the passenger car, Daigo overheard multiple conversations along the lines of "That's Mikey, right?" and "Hey, it's Davis!"

One of the Davis calls came from a nearby boy wearing presentable clothes, so much that he had taken his jacket off and slung it over his shoulder. Daigo could tell he was a foreigner, and his height and stocky shoulders made for a frightening approach. At this point, Daigo didn't care, asking him, "Who's Davis?"

The boy scratched the hair under his cap and answered, "Oh, you speak well." Daigo picked out a Russian accent but had no trouble understanding him.

"So do you." Daigo glanced at the train. "That's weird, isn't it?"

With a hearty chuckle, the Russian replied, "Yes, probably. This world does keep you on your toes." Now he turned to the train. "Davis is a leader of the Japanese team. I'm surprised you don't know him. You lot tend to run the show you know."

Daigo and Maki looked at each other in confusion. "The show?" Daigo asked.

He spread his arms wide. "The show. All of this. Davis is… is good. I hope he knows what's going on."

Shrill microphone feedback came out of the blue and red Digimon on board resembling an entertainment system. The red-haired girl gave a thumbs up to one of the two boys in goggles, the one with the longer hair and the red partner Digimon holding a microphone stand for him. "Uh, hey everybody. I know a couple of you know me already but for the rest of you my name's Mikey." He gestured to the two Digimon and the girl. "This is Shoutmon, Ballistamon, and Angie." He turned to the remaining duo. "And I guess a bunch of you know Davis and Veemon too." The amount of nodding in the crowd unsettled Daigo.

"So I'm sure you're wondering what's going on, but the answer's pretty complicated. Yes, this is the Digital World and yes, this is really happening. All we can tell you right now is everything's going to be fine. It's a tough situation, and all of us had to go through it already, but we're not leaving anyone behind. We'll get through it together!"

Nobody seemed all that encouraged by such a vague and unhelpful announcement. A few hands went up amid the sea of shrugs. One cry of "Not groovy!" came from the back.

As Angie climbed back down, Mikey added, "Now don't worry, we brought a bunch of clothes for everyone who needs them but we need to sort everybody out first. Davis'll explain that part."

He handed the mic to Davis, who waved with a big smile. "Hey, everybody! Cool seeing a lot of you again. Can't wait to catch up! All the Japanese digidestined have been here for a while."

" _All_ the Japanese digidestined?" Maki asked.

"Good to be recognized," muttered Daigo. Behind them, one of the chess pawn ladies asked what a digidestined was.

Davis continued, "So we're gonna start by putting you all in groups based on where you're from. Once you got a group put together I want each team to pick one leader to join us with their Digimon. We're gonna head back to base, show them around, explain what's going on, answer questions… you know, stuff like that. Once they get the idea, they'll come back and explain it to you guys. Sound good?"

After enough nods to make Daigo more uncomfortable, Davis pulled out his D3 and a recognizable yet obvious facsimile of the same digivice Daigo had. Holding it up, Davis said, "So Ballistamon made this one but you get the idea. If you have one of these two digivices, go find the flag with your continent. That's your group."

The herding began so quickly Daigo didn't have time to hear the rest of Davis's instructions. He was grateful the crowd swept him and his team in the Asian group. These continental groups ended up being the largest by far, and his the biggest of those. The debate over choosing a representative began immediately.

Certain negotiation between a mass of nationalities rarely seeing eye to eye would take awhile, Daigo turned back to the train. Mikey had taken the mic back and said, "Uh, just to clarify: hunters? You're sending Tagiru. It's not a discussion for you guys." The boy who had first charged out of the grove grinned at the rest of his group, flashed a thumb's up, and sprinted for the train.

By the time Daigo returned his attention to Team Asia, they'd somehow reached a consensus in an Indian girl with a white printed kurta, brown pants, and sandals making regal strides through the crowd. She didn't part the masses as much as her Meramon partner walking behind her might have, but the effect was strong. She reached Daigo and stopped, staring at him and the other members of his team with some concern.

"I don't recognize your group. Where are you from?"

Daigo turned back to his team before answering, "Japan… thought we were the only ones."

"Oh," she said in surprise. "I assume you aren't on the message board."

"Message board?" He wondered what that was. "Guess not."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." She gave him a gentle bow. "I'm Mina."

"Daigo," he answered, baffled beyond reason. Mina continued to the train, joining a short line of the other leaders. His group must have had close to 75 digidestined in it, crowded and nervous and staring at each other ready to ignite multiple international incidents if kept too long. And all of them had a head start in knowing Davis and presumably each other. Whoever this Mina girl was, she was going to have her hands full enough dealing with this mob. Daigo couldn't count on her to care for his band of blind outcasts as well.

Turning back to said outcasts, he took a deep breath and announced, "You guys stay here. I'm going too."

"Didn't Davis say it was only one per group?" Bearmon asked.

Daigo's eyes drifted over his team, settling on Maki. Her eyes narrowed. "I say to hell with Davis. Get up there."

He smiled, nodded at Bearmon, and together they marched to the line of leaders. Mikey, Angie, and Davis all sat at a table in front of the train, finishing their instructions for Mina.

Mikey raised an eyebrow at Daigo. "Thought we only had eight."

Daigo gulped, but stated his position with confidence: "Yeah, we were put in the Asian group, but I'm not sure my team belongs there."

"You have the digivice Davis held up?"

"I do but…" Daigo turned to Davis. "I don't think you know about us."

Davis leaned forward and squinted. "More from Japan? Dude, what's your name?"

"Daigo Nishijima."

Over a long pause, Davis's eyes widened. His name must have registered, but the fear in the show-runner's eyes did little to reassure Daigo. Slowly, with a tremble in his voice, Davis repeated, "Daigo Nishijima?" With a gulp, Daigo nodded.

Davis stood up straight, hand shooting out to shoot Daigo's. "Um… yeah yeah, get on board, for sure. Veemon'll get you some clothes, then get on the end car with the others." He dropped his hands to his sides. "And um… it's really cool to meet you."

Walking away, both Daigo and Bearmon stole frequent glances back at Davis, now seated again and waving off Mikey's request for an explanation with a cocky smile.

"Well, it's nice to finally get some darn respect," said Bearmon.

"Yeah…" Daigo mumbled. "Now I'm really confused."

* * *

Sora Takenouchi woke up startled to find herself on the seat of a moving train. She needed a moment to remember this was expected. What wasn't was the way she was stirred awake not by the chugging engine or a whistle or a sudden jostling of the train car, but by her partner excitedly repeating her name over and over again. Biyomon flapped her wings, hovering in front of the window admiring the scenery the morning light afforded them.

"I can see the ocean!" Biyomon shouted once her partner was upright. Sora rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. Indeed, she found a clear blue ocean whenever the nearby trees or distant mountaintops didn't obstruct it. She wondered when Isthmian would be in sight.

"Guessing that woke you up," Takuya said, walking down the center aisle towards them, munching on an apple, with a second in his other hand. He raised an eye at Biyomon. "She part rooster?"

Sora frowned. "She's just excited. We've never been here before. Are we close?"

"Ten minutes I think." He offered the second apple to Sora. She took it, but let Biyomon have the first bite. "I can hide if you need to change."

"It's fine." She looked at her tank top and athletic shorts and shrugged. "No point in looking nice."

Takuya cocked his head. "Eh, it's a good style for you. Thanks again for doing this."

The "this" in question involved setting up new beds at Isthmian Castle and taking stock of what additional supplies and equipment they would need to house 30 or so residents. They planned on waiting a few days after the hunters arrived to acclimate the new kids and determine everyone's ideal fit before shipping everybody off. The glut of international digidestined meant space and resources back home were at a premium, so advance preparation needed to happen immediately. With most of the kitchen staff busy making sure the arrivals wouldn't starve and the hospitality, patrol, and engineering teams scrambling to accommodate everyone, Sora combined enough of all of those roles to accompany Takuya and uncover necessities he might otherwise overlook.

Crossing the moat into the courtyard for the first time, Sora was surprised at the serenity of green grass, stone pathways, and a pool brushing up so seamlessly with the bank she couldn't tell it was artificial. She viewed Takuya's first attempt at settling this place with such disdain she had always pictured a dysfunctional, crumbling mess of a fort. Maybe it was by the time they left. This was fresh and natural, and the smaller size and enclosed walls made it feel cozy.

Takuya caught her eying the pool and said, "Yeah, we'll definitely need that once we're done putting everything together."

The castle doors swung open and Kamemon waddled out to greet them, carrying a tray with a teapot, two cups, and a sheet of paper. He took long enough that they met him halfway. They each enjoyed a sip before Takuya read the note, a printoff from the communications terminal: "New kids have arrived. Greeting leaders today. No need to rush your return. No council action anticipated."

He returned the sheet to the tray. "Darn, I was hoping it would take longer."

"Is it a problem if you aren't there?" asked Sora. The other five leaders would be. "Are there any other digidestined in your world?"

A laugh popped out of him. "If there are any other digidestined in my world, something went horribly, horribly wrong."

"Well, in my world something goes horribly wrong every couple years."

A loud rush of wind interrupted them, almost made Takuya spill his tea, and prompted Kamemon to duck into his shell. MailBirdramon landed behind them, with Christopher on board. The Blue Flare general hopped off and said, "So I guess you need my Digimon to unload the train."

Takuya ignored the bitterness in Christopher's voice. "Yep, that's the plan."

"Does the plan include Agunimon helping?"

When Takuya heaved a sigh, Sora quickly clasped his shoulder. "Takuya needs to show me around the castle so we can make sure we've got everything." Christopher folded his arms. "But Biyomon can help!" Without looking, she held her digivice towards her partner and digivolved her to Champion. As Birdramon and MailBirdramon glared at each other, Christopher shrugged and motioned for them both to follow him outside.

Sora shook her head. "Is he ever not irritated?"

Takuya smirked. "Why, does he sound too much like your ex?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He just laughed it off and gestured toward the castle doors. "Okay, let's head back to my place." Despite herself, she snorted.

As he gave her the tour, she was surprised how much was already in place. She knew he had made a few trips up, sometimes with JP or Jeremy, to facilitate repairs or install some piece of infrastructure. Seeing the end product in room after room still impressed her. This was not the ramshackle outpost she expected, but a functioning, modern facility that with today's shipment would be capable of housing three dozen people and Digimon.

She still had notes, of course. There weren't a wide enough variety of cleaning supplies, the laundry situation was inadequate, and more cooking utensils would give Ewan more freedom in the kitchen. Takuya frowned every time she wrote something.

While she rummaged through a closet of personal care items, she reached back and pawed for the clipboard Takuya held. He gave it to her and she scribbled down "tampons" before handing it back. He scanned it and groaned.

"How on Earth could you forget?" she joked.

He shook his head in dismay as she pulled herself out. "Remember when we didn't have to deal with all that?"

"Fondly." She took the clipboard back. "And what do you mean 'we?'" He grimaced as she added razors and a few basic medicines. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I was doing good," he answered, full of disappointment. "Hoped you'd look it over and say we were good to go. But look at all the stuff I forgot. We'll have to make another river order, won't we?"

"I assumed you'd have to. There's still time before you move out." Sora looked up from the clipboard to find Takuya still unsatisfied. With a sigh, she said, "Takuya, all this stuff…" She tilted her head at the order sheet. "…it's little. This is nothing. But you've come so far on the important things. The electricity works, the plumbing, the kitchen's really close. That's what really could have held you back." His eyes started to brighten. She couldn't take hers off them. "I know I didn't approve of it the first time, but now seeing it in person… it's going to work. I can tell." She gave him an encouraging nod. "You've done a really great job."

Finally, she had coaxed the smile out of him. Takuya didn't have anything to say in response, so he just kept staring at her. With no further reassurance necessary and no more rooms to inspect, she was content to do the same.

A crash in the courtyard snapped them both out of it. Neither could see outside from where they were, so they could only exchange worried glances.

Takuya shrugged. "Hey, maybe that was his Birdramon."

* * *

Haru Shinkai blended into the gathering of leaders better than he expected to. While Eri, Astra, and Rei were as suspicious about all this as he was, playing along seemed to be the best course of action… at least until Rei could tap into whatever passed for the internet in this place. All three agreed Haru was their leader. For all the trepidation he had, Davis and Mikey greeted him with warm smiles, he found a nice red zipped sweater in the clothing bin, and a seat with the other eight leaders.

Rather than the Appmon he was used to, everyone dealt with Digimon in some form. The leaders who had been sorted by continent were easy enough to distinguish: the blond boy with the Betamon raised his voice above everyone else, revealing himself as the American while his European counterpart nodded politely, speaking less often with a wonderful French accent.

"To be honest, it's been a long time since I've been to the Digital World," she said. Haru wanted to ask if they'd all been here before. He certainly hadn't, unless his adventures in the net counted. They didn't to him: this world was too full and too massive to be a small island floating in cyberspace.

Gatchmon released the magnifying glass over his eye. "There's a signal, but it's all jumbled up. Can't read anything." He sounded more cautious than usual. "No internet access: how do you live like that?"

"I try not to," Haru answered with a nervous chuckle. His pocket felt empty without a phone in it, even with his Appdrive clipped to a belt loop. He sensed he could trust Davis and Mikey and they would provide him answers eventually. But not knowing anybody or anything left an isolated feeling.

Whether he was ready or not, one of the other goggle-headed boys sat next to him. Haru recognized him as the impulsive runner from the grove with the crimson device. The boy grinned at Haru and said, "Isn't this amazing?"

Haru didn't see cause for enthusiasm, but returned an uncertain nod. "That's… one way of putting it."

"I'm Tagiru. Nice goggles."

"Uh, thanks…" Haru looked up at his pair, then at Tagiru's, then at the three others wearing them. "I'm Haru. I was curious about all the goggles actually."

"Means you're a star," Tagiru said with a nod.

Haru chuckled. "I didn't know that, but I'm okay with it!" Tagiru's companion monster joined them, wedging into the very small space between the two boys. "So this is a Digimon, right?" Haru asked.

"Yeah, I'm Gumdramon," the monster replied. "Of course I'm a Digimon! What do I look like, a dog?"

"You could be an Appmon!" Gatchmon answered, crawling over Haru's lap, lowering his magnifying glass to inspect Gumdramon. Gumdramon swiped at him, but he leaned back in time. "You might just be a punk!"

"Gatchmon!" Haru scolded.

While Tagiru restrained Gumdramon, he asked, "Who's Appmon?"

"Oh, my team doesn't have Digimon. We have Appmon. They're all mobile apps." Haru looked down at Gatchmon, blowing Gumdramon a raspberry. "Gatchmon is a search engine, so he's really useful for finding information!"

Gatchmon paused to grumble, "At least when there's internet."

Tagiru was wide-eyed staring at Gatchmon. "That's so cool…"

Haru hummed in agreement. "So have you ever been to this Digital World?"

"Nope! But Gumdramon's told me all about it! Super excited!"

Gumdramon looked back at his partner and grinned. "Yeah, bet we could do a ton of damage!"

"You do enough damage when it's just you," said Shoutmon, joining in.

"King!" Gumdramon jumped off the seat and bowed his head.

"There goes the neighborhood." Shoutmon waited for Gumdramon to react in despair before cracking a smirk.

"Hey, you've seen what I can do!" Gumdramon motioned to Gatchmon. "He just called me a punk!"

Shoutmon eyed Gumdramon, then Gatchmon. "He's not wrong." This time Shoutmon didn't wait for Gumdramon's reaction. "Gatchmon, was it?"

"Yeah," answered Gatchmon. "How'd you know that?"

Eyes bulging, Shoutmon panicked for a second before regaining his composure and answering, "You have to know these things when you're a king."

Thankfully for him, Mikey swooped in and took a seat. "Tagiru! How've you been?"

Tagiru's grin widened at the side of his mentor/rival. "Now that I'm here, great! Whatever's going on, it's a lot more fun than back home!"

Haru felt sweat on his forehead. There were far too many red flags here and far too many things he loved about his life back home to go that far. Still, he forced a smile and said, "I don't know about that but I like the attitude!"

"Yeah, that's a…" Mikey glanced at Shoutmon quickly before returning to Tagiru and smiling. "Good way to approach this."

Tagiru looked down the aisle. "So that Davis… he was one of the legendary heroes, right?"

"Yep, they're all here. You'll meet most of them in a bit." As Tagiru's face lit up with excitement, Mikey grimaced. "Except uh… the ones we met were sort of… other versions of them, I guess. Turns out two different versions of us can exist in other worlds. Like, my team's been here more than a year now even though you might have seen us back home. It's kinda strange but…" He shrugged. "What part of all this isn't?"

"So there could be two mes right now?" Mikey nodded. "That's wild!"

"Totally. But that makes it kinda weird to talk about the Quartzmon thing. Be a bit odd hearing you were at some place or doing something you have no memory of. Like dropping into some random world to help save it." His eyes couldn't help but drift. "Hey Haru."

While Tagiru still reveled in the abnormality of all this, Haru's face was serious: "You said your team's been here a year?"

"Yep," Mikey replied, laughing. "And we're the new guys! Some of us have been here way longer."

Haru's eyes widened. "Does that mean we're trapped here?"

Mikey looked down. All the light from outside vanished as the train entered a tunnel, casting him in darkness. "It's… easier if you don't think about it like that. Caused a lot of trouble when I did." He looked up again, bearing a smile as the train slowed to a halt. "It's not bad here. We live pretty good, there's a lot of cool people, plus you get to hang out with your Digimon all the time." The train stopped, jolting them forward. "Plus wait 'til you see the castle."

"But I already hang out with my…" Haru's head picked up. "Did you say castle?" Mikey grinned and led them, and the remaining representatives, out the door to the subterranean train platform.

Haru and Tagiru were the first ones out of the station. They emerged from the base of a mountain, staring across the softly rolling green field at the keep and two towers lording over them. Ancient but sturdy brown walls and bridges connected the bases of the three peaks. Whatever objections Haru had vanished amidst pages of boyhood fantasies brought to life in front of him.

Tagiru's entire body shook. "Oh… my… God!" He looked at Mikey, who just nodded.

He spun around to find Haru, speechless until sensing the eyes of exuberance targeting him, waiting to erupt. The appdriver turned to the hunter, unable to hide his own giddy smile as he leaned in and said, "I hope we end up in Gryffindor!"

* * *

Ren Tobari didn't like where this was going. Hundreds of teenagers crowded around a field in what must have been the Digital World, many underdressed, almost all with enough Digimon in their command to raise serious hell. Yet they were told to wait around for their representative to get back? To top it off, his representative was a hyperactive moron who only ascended because the enemy caught Ryouma in a fit of naivety. How could he trust Tagiru to ask the right questions and come back with the correct answers?

The other groups seemed more willing to play along. They stayed by their flags like good little sheep, waiting for Angie to herd them to the train to put some clothes on. Thanks to time zones, most of the internationals didn't need her charity. Still, she let those that did, plus the tiny outlier groups, go in first.

As the hunters waited for their turn, Angie approached them and, in a booming voice Ren never imagined her having, announced, "Okay, once they're done you all can go in to change. Boys in the first car, girls in the second. Got that?" She got a couple nods, but most just glared back. "Then come back here so I can get a headcount. They want me to get everyone's names too."

When the last of the smaller groups left the train—the ones with the strange monsters Ren didn't recognize and wanted to steal—the hunters charged. Most of them were boys, making their car particularly chaotic. Rather than brave the mob himself, he made Dracmon squeeze and claw his way through to retrieve the goods. Ren's only orders were his measurements and "don't draw too much blood, I guess."

In the meantime, he surveyed the train's interior. At first glance, it seemed like a conventional, albeit old-fashioned, long-distance passenger car. Long rows of seats faced each other with a small washroom on each end. But suspended above these were wooden bunks, where Ren could pick out mattresses hiding behind them. Several ladders lined the walls. Before he could reach his conclusion, fellow hunter Kiichi exclaimed, "Wow, it's a modified Pullman sleeper!" He turned to Ren, shaking with excitement. "I never thought I'd get to see one in real life!"

Unamused, Ren asked, "Is that good or bad?"

"We get to sleep in a Pullman!"

Ren blinked. Between the unruly fight over clothes and the number of berths the car could hide, this was bad. And he wasn't going to deal with it standing still.

Dracmon returned with an eclectic, yet functional, set of clothes that Ren snuck into the washroom to throw on. The shirt, hoodie, and pants were all contrasting colors, a testament to either the difficulty of Dracmon's hunt or his opinion of Ren's fashion choices. He even came back with a floppy orange cap. Ren wondered if these were hand-me-downs and, if so, who originally picked out such striking headwear.

They jumped off the train and marched straight at Angie, at the far end recording the names of the small South American contingency. Ren nodded at Dracmon, who jumped behind her, grabbed her arms, and pulled them behind her back, dragging her into the center of the field.

Yelping the whole way, Angie finally craned her neck enough to see her captor. "What the?" She found his hunter. "Ren, what the hell are you doing?!"

In a calm voice with only a slight hint of irritation, he said, "Are you going to tell us what's going on or are we just supposed to live in your party train without asking?"

"We told you! You'll hear everything from Tagiru when he comes back! Now let me go!"

"Tagiru?" Ren raised a skeptical eyebrow that made Angie struggle more. Dracmon tightened his grip.

"Hey, what's going on here?!" A girl with dual-pigtailed pink hair from one of the other groups charged in. "What are you doing to her?!" Her fists weren't as massive as the ones on her partner, but she seemed ready to use them.

"You really want to wait until your guy gets back to find out what's going on here?"

She didn't relent until one of her teammates leaned in and said, "We should see where this goes."

"Rei!" she shouted, her sneer facing him instead. Ren was happy to have the heat off him.

Angie kept fighting, making Dracmon grip harder. "Seriously Ren, I'm not the person to talk to!"

"But you have to know something," said Ren. "Maybe you'll get more chatty if Dracmon bit off a couple fingers."

"You wouldn't!" she cried mid-gasp. Dracmon snickered and licked his lips.

"Ren?" Ryouma, having scrounged up a purple shirt but lacking a worthy black jacket, joined his old teammate. "Is it really in our best interests to maim the girlfriend of Mikey Kudo?"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Angie shouted back.

Ryouma stared at her, then shrugged. "Oh. Well all right then, maim away."

"Wait, no!" she said frantically. "I mean I was! For like half a day… I don't like talking about it."

"You don't like talking about a lot of things, it seems."

"Hey, I didn't make the decisions! I don't know how they're dealing with you guys! Look, do you want me to call someone to come out here?"

Her hand tried to reach for her Fusion Loader, but Dracmon stopped her. "No way, you might have Digimon in there!" said Ren.

"I don't have any Digimon! I barely use this thing! But do you want answers or not?!"

"There's no point in having a hostage if there's nobody to make demands to," said Ryouma. "Let her make the call." Ren sighed and nodded at Dracmon, who loosened his grip enough to let Angie reach Command.

Glaring at Ren the whole while, she made contact and said, "Hey TK! Remember all those times you guys said the new kids couldn't possibly be as bad as I made them out to be? About that…"

* * *

TK Takaishi interrupting the first chance to meet the officers and leaders to pull Thomas out to deal with a "situation" that may require "response team intervention" probably wasn't the best way to assure the new representatives there was nothing to worry about. It killed the flow of the initial introductions, especially as Thomas himself was just about to say who he was.

"Okay, so that was our tactical officer Thomas," said Tai, trying to keep things afloat. "He organizes patrols and deployments whenever we need to fight." He gestured to the row of leaders to wrap up the intros. "Marcus and Takato head our patrol and response teams. And Mikey… uh, they figure out what you're doing up at Isthmian?"

"Not yet!" Mikey answered.

"Great." Tai turned to the newcomers. "Well some of us know some of you, but why don't you all introduce yourselves?"

He didn't pay much attention to the international kids. He knew them already. In fact, he, Davis, Kari, and TK tried to guess each continent's rep. Tai came in last, missing Mina and the Ghanaian boy representing Africa.

After they went around, concluding with Michael, Tai tuned back in. The remaining four were from the other worlds, and the only one of them Tai had met was Haru.

Or so he thought…

"Um… okay… so this is kind of weird because I didn't know there were any other digidestined…" Tai nodded along; Takuya had said the same thing when his group first arrived. "I'm Daigo Nishijima, and-"

"Nishijima?!" Tai exclaimed, jumping out of his chair. "Mr. Nishijima?!"

Daigo froze, staring back at the stunned commander, not sure what to make of suddenly being remembered. "You don't have to be so formal. Aren't you older than me?"

"But you're… you know, you used to just be my calligraphy teacher. Next thing I know, you're in that bureau, now this!" He caught Davis sitting upright, eyes square on the empty chair in front of him, determined to keep a straight face. "Davis, did you know about this?"

Davis shook his head. "Nope, definitely did not expect this guy to show up!" He inhaled quickly and blurted, "And look, he's six years after his first trip!"

"So you're from my future?" asked Daigo, darting his head between his two successors.

Mina scratched her chin. "More like you're from the past, but I guess that's relative."

"I think you're all from the past," said Kari, turning to the internationals. "You five helped us fight MaloMyotismon, so you'd be from the same time Davis was when he got here. That was ages ago."

"So it needed more digidestined after us…" Daigo mumbled, shoulders slumped. "…and you guys had no idea who we were?" Tai shook his head.

"Your Digimon didn't end up becoming the Sovereign by any chance, did they?" asked Henry.

"You mean the Harmonious Ones?" Bearmon, leaning against the window, replied.

"Yeah, them." Bearmon smiled and nodded.

"Jeez, was that in the cartoon too?!" Tai asked, not sure whether to be impressed or mortified.

With all eyes on him, Henry sunk lower in his chair. "Um… novels again."

Head shaking, Daigo said, "And here I thought it wouldn't get any weirder. Calligraphy teacher, huh?"

The next representative stood, despite already being the tallest, most imposing man in the room. The Kudamon wrapped around his neck scanned the room carefully. "Richard Sampson, former commander of DATS in Japan. Whatever you have going on here, it appears to have some sort of structure. If Thomas vouches for it, I'll trust it."

"Hey, what about me?" asked Marcus.

"Do you vouch for any sort of structure?"

A pause, then a shrug. "Eh, these guys are fine."

Tai raised his eyebrows. "Marcus punched me in the face the day after he got here and we've been cool ever since."

Sampson and Kudamon nodded and sat back down. "All right. Oh, and Marcus? You'll be pleased to know your-"

"Tagiru Akashi!" The next leader broke in. He jumped to his feet, his chair wheeling back and nearly crushing Gumdramon. "It's so cool to meet all of you guys! I'm sure Mikey's told you about me!"

Tai held back a snicker. "Uh, yeah, he's mentioned you a few times." Kari had to cover her mouth to hide her grin. "A Digimon hunter, huh?"

"Number One Digimon Hunter! Wanna see how many I've got?" He held his Fusion Loader out.

Holding his hand up quickly, Tai said, "Uh, maybe later! Haru, you're up."

Haru raised an eyebrow at Tai knowing his name, but stood and said, "I'm Haru Shinkai. Um… so I don't deal with Digimon. It's just a game in my, uh, world."

"And a game now, huh?" Daigo muttered.

"Hey, it's a fun game," said Takato.

Nodding in agreement, Haru continued, "Yeah, so my team has Appmon instead. Appmon are-"

"…really wondering about the internet situation," Gatchmon interrupted. "I'm having withdrawal here!"

"Right," said Henry, turning to Tai. "Should we…?" Tai nodded, beckoning Henry to continue: "There is a network here, but with so much data flying around, accessing it's difficult. We have a local network for our use and connections to order supplies and talk to Isthmian. And we just figured out how to communicate between different digivices, but anything else is pretty hard."

"Digital media has problems too," added Kari. "Music works all right, but there's too much noise for much else." Suddenly, she smiled at Henry. "Although we're working on that!"

Henry smiled back and slid his tablet computer over to her before looking across the table. "Izzy and I developed a makeshift video format. We coded it to block outside data. We're still working on transferring movies from outside, but at least we can record our own videos now."

Kari turned the tablet around, displaying a frame of herself standing in front of the castle doors. "With so many people, it'll be easier to have a set of videos explaining what's going on and some of our rules and structure. Take a look!"

She tapped the tablet, beginning the video and an awkward pause before the Kari on screen started talking. The walls cast a shadow over half of her, leaving the camera waffling between which side to use to auto-set its brightness levels. "Hi! Welcome to the Digital World! I'm Kari, the castle's communication officer. You're here because six years ago you helped saved the world with your Digimon. And now the Digital World needs your help again."

Kari paused, nodding a couple times as her eyes panned from right to left. "Um… right, so this world was created by two gods. One, Algomon, envisioned darkness and spread chaos throughout the land." She hesitated to fight off a snicker. "The second, Rhythm, brought more of us- more _and_ more of us here to restore order and light. After years of pushing back, we've helped make this world bitter- excuse me, brighter! …and more peaceful than it ever has before. Uh… and it's up to us to keep it that way. We only have the upper hand as long as we can stick together."

As the Kari in the video extended a pause, shielding her eyes from the light and leaning forward, the Kari in the conference room stopped the video. "It goes on from there to explain how we have two castles and how we get supplies, but you get the idea." Her voice was louder and more expressive in person. "Does that help?"

The international kids shared worried looks with each other. Tagiru stared at the screen, then at Kari, then asked, "You want to show that to people?"

"Hey!" Tai glared at him. "We're doing what we can. She's trying to explain things, not win awards."

"Um…" Haru raised a tentative hand. "I know the information is the important thing, but the better it's presented the more likely people will understand and accept it."

Head lowered, Kari nodded. "Sorry. I'm new at this."

Smiling at her, Haru said, "If you're interested, I have a friend who's great at this. He's an Apptuber and his channel goes viral all the time!"

She looked up, more encouraged. "I have no idea what any of that meant, but if he wants to help, I'll take it."

Tai took a breath, then smiled at Haru. "Great, thanks. That leads me to my next point: we have to work with everybody to figure out what people should be doing and where. There's no need for everyone to fight, although you and your partner should always be capable of it. But if you know anyone in your group with special skills that might come in handy, let us know."

"Tai?" Michael asked, raising a hand. "So my understanding is we'll be split up between two castles?"

"Um… well, that was the plan." Tai squirmed in his chair. "But we've only got so much room and we were only expecting Tagiru's group. Haru and Sampson and Mr. Nishijima's teams will be easy enough to fit, but we're still working on something for all of you guys."

"So what am I supposed to tell everyone? That they have no home?" asked Catherine.

"You clearly knew we'd be coming!" added the Ghanaian.

"We did!" Tai replied quickly, throwing his hands up, trying to calm them. "We had a bunch of emergency shelters brought in, but we lost them in a sneak attack."

"So where are we going to stay?"

"Um…"

"For now we set up the train cars with beds and bathroom facilities," answered Henry. "We'll bring in food for everybody." Feeling the glare from the five internationals, he leaned back. "It's the best we can do until we can get more shelters in."

"But Henry…" Mina paused, thinking about her words carefully. "I hope you aren't considering refugee shelters as a long term solution. It may sound to you like the easiest way to house all of us, but if we really are to live out our lives here, we won't be content until we're somewhere permanent. Somewhere that's safe. And we can call ours. Some of the digidestined in my group have had to live in those shelters. They'll tell you it's not a major improvement over your train cars."

Henry turned to Tai. "Jeri hasn't tried to re-order those yet. Should I have her hold off?"

Tai stared at Mina, waiting for confirmation. "If those shelters will allow you to think you can take your time finding a permanent home for us, then we'd rather not have them."

Her eyes didn't waver. She spoke deliberately and with no hesitation. The other international representatives also added their stares, lending support to her cause. Tai gave a quick nod to Henry; no way could he veer from her demand now.

Naturally, everyone wanted to settle their situation as soon as possible, so their stance was hardly outrageous. The challenge in doing so already overwhelmed Tai. But the only thing that had scared him before was their size. He couldn't bear to face the wrath of 200 digidestined. Now he realized it was worse than that. Not only were these 200 united, they had stronger leadership than Tai could have ever pictured.

* * *

Rika Nonaka led KendoGarurumon behind the train cars. Yolei and Halsemon kept their approach low so the new arrivals wouldn't spot them. For a mission demanding a peaceful approach, this wasn't the best team for the job. But with everyone else either in meetings, at Isthmian, or frantically making accommodations, this was the best they could do.

KendoGarurumon turned back into Koji, making Rika cringe. "Don't do that in front of me," she said, a tic in her eye.

Koji returned a scowl. "What, you don't bio-merge in front of people?"

She scoffed. "Difference is, when we bio-merge, we look good."

They poked their heads around the train cars to gauge the situation. Dracmon still held Angie captive, but only kept a loose grip. All parties meandered around waiting for something to happen. Most of the non-participants even had their backs to the action, mulling about the sidelines introducing themselves or reuniting with old friends.

"Well, what's the plan?" asked Hawkmon.

"Go to Shurimon," answered Rika. "Sneak behind the groups and squeeze into one of them. Looks like South America gives you the cleanest shot at Dracmon. Take him out, then we rush in and grab Angie."

"I'm not killing Dracmon!" Yolei protested, struggling to keep her voice down. Koji still shushed her. "He's still someone's partner, even if they're way out of line."

Koji sighed. "We're going to have to talk to them, aren't we?" With a sneer, Rika nodded. Koji turned to Yolei. "Head to South America anyway. Just in case."

"That I can do. I don't mind getting up close to those Brazilians."

She and Hawkmon waited to make sure Ren and Ryouma weren't looking their way, then dashed behind the first flag as Koji and Rika stepped out into the clearing.

Ryouma smirked at them. "No Digimon for you either? That's bold."

"Who says we don't have Digimon?" Rika replied, eyes cheating towards Renamon's hiding place. "We're just not showing them to you."

"Or do you want to call our bluff?" Koji added.

"Hey, quit posturing and help me!" Angie shouted.

Ren glared at Angie before turning to Koji. "So are you here to fill us in?"

Koji stared back with indifference. "We're just here to help Angie. What'll it take?"

"Answers. Good ones."

"Don't have them. We don't work upstairs. What else?"

Ren bared his teeth. Ryouma help up a hand to calm him and strolled up to Koji. "So let me get this straight: we have one of your teammates captive and are making the pretty reasonable demand of finding out what on Earth's going on… and the response is to send two people who are just as clueless as her, except with invisible Digimon?"

Koji didn't flinch. "Only hers is invisible. Mine…" He smirked. "Let's hope you don't have to find out."

Ryouma eyed the warrior of light up and down, then smirked back. "Oh, now I kind of want to."

Rika looked around. Ren and Dracmon may have been the only ones openly hostile, but everyone looked uneasy. And neither Koji nor Ryouma seemed like good candidates to de-escalate this. Not that she was either, but someone had to. "Look, just… trust us, okay? We've been here awhile. We know what we're doing. Everything's getting taken care of." She had no idea if this was true.

Raising an eyebrow at Rika, Ryouma said, "Forgive me for being skeptical. But what's stopping us from leaving here to fend for ourselves?"

"You been here before?" asked Koji.

The hunter hesitated before answering, "No."

"What kind of Digimon do you have?"

Ryouma recoiled. Ren snickered. "Who, Ryouma? Idiot's Digimon turned out to be the big monster trying to destroy the world. We all teamed up to kill him." With a smug grin, he added. "It was pretty funny."

"All right," said Ryouma, eyes down, still reeling. "Maybe wandering around helpless isn't our best choice." He returned to Koji, but his usual assured expression didn't. "But if this is the best you can offer, how can you convince us we aren't completely out of luck?"

Koji paused for a long time, staring at Ryouma and a face struggling to hide vulnerability. Rika watched Koji's eyes, at first fierce and unforgiving, then softening as their target's defenses eroded. Finally, Koji blinked and said, "I can't."

Ryouma and Ren looked at each other before returning to Koji. He shrugged. "You guys are hosed. There's too many of you. I have no idea how you're all getting fed. Don't know where you're staying." He glanced at the train cars. "Those look like a joke." He shook his head. "I'm sure they want me to say they'll figure everything out, but God knows how long that'll take. And yes, you're stuck here for life."

He watched Ryouma's eyes widen, and no doubt plenty of others heard him. Koji walked up to the hunter. "But look, we know this place, and we're at least offering something. So you can either go off on your own and probably get killed out there… or you can put up with the crap we'll feed you and at least stay safe until Command gets its act together." He patted Ryouma's upper arm. "Your funeral either way."

Koji stayed still, inches away from Ryouma, waiting for the hunter to respond. But how could he? With everything laid bare and already weakened by the scars from Astamon, what other answers could possibly help? Still staring at Koji, Ryouma said, "Ren, let her go."

Ren sneered back. "What? Seriously?"

"Did he stutter?" Rika said with more force. She got a glare too, but he raised an arm and Dracmon released Angie before following his hunter back to their flag.

Ryouma continued to stare at Koji. With nothing more to say, Koji averted his eyes, then added an awkward rub of Ryouma's shoulder before returning to Rika.

Yolei and Shurimon helped Angie to them. Her body shivered, her head shaking. "I'll do the count later. I'll be in the train 'til the food gets here," she mumbled. Yolei led her inside.

After watching them board, Rika turned back to Koji. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you felt sorry for him."

Koji's eyes narrowed. "Well why shouldn't I? Does it look like Command has control of this?"

She scoffed. "No. But you're the last person I'd have thought would pull out some empathy there."

He turned away, concealing the faintest blush. After another glance at Ryouma, still frozen with a lost look on his face, Koji turned around and marched back to the train. "We can leave now, right?"

Rika shrugged and followed him, a smile growing on her face. "Whatever you say. You're my ride."

* * *

Takuya Kanbara shouldn't have been so surprised at Sora's proficiency with a hex key. The hospitality team couldn't have relied on JP and Jeremy to fix everything around the castle. But he couldn't believe how fast the two of them could assemble 40 beds throughout the castle. By the time they reached the last room, they worked with almost robotic efficiency.

It still wore him out. Sweat rolled down his forehead and under his arms. Sora had her own sheen above her brow and below her neck, which Takuya tried hard not to pay too much attention to. They were far enough along now that he let the call of the courtyard pool grow louder and more inviting. Just one more frame to assemble…

Tightening one of the posts, Sora said, "Why do these have wheels? Wouldn't it feel more at home if you knew these weren't going anywhere?"

"Trying to be flexible," Takuya answered. "Gotta be prepared if someone needs his own room or God forbid we have to try cramming three in here."

Sora lifted her head. The room was tight enough with two beds. Three would have provided no floor space. "Seriously?"

"Well… plus you can push these together if need be. We're ditching that stupid rule about boys and girls not rooming together. So we can handle it if say…" His grin grew more mischievous. "…Matt and Nene wanted to share a room."

She didn't shirk as much as he'd hoped. Instead, she lowered her head and returned to her work, casually adding, "Or Zoe and Jeremy."

Her jab landed, forcing him to take a long breath before nodding. "That was good." Takuya craned his neck to catch her concealing a smile. "I'm cool with them, by the way. I'm glad she's happy. I know I blew it with her."

"Who haven't you blown it with?" she replied without looking.

He actually had to consider how to respond to that. Sora was more game to volleying friendly fire than he would have thought. He had heard she played tennis. He was loving this, enough to try a smash shot: "Well, you."

She froze, long enough that he leaned over to survey the damage. Instead, she too weighed her options. What she settled on surprised him: "There were circumstances involved."

He paused again. This wasn't fun anymore. Now he was nervous. But the danger only spurred him on. "Those, uh, circumstances are gone now, right? I mean… I'm assuming you're not still waiting." Stumbling over an out for himself, he added, "Or are you talking about something else?"

Sora looked up at him, catching him with frustratingly unreadable eyes. "No. That's over now." Her words and expression neither pushed him away nor pulled him in. She tightened one last bolt in silence, then stood to fetch the box spring.

Takuya hoisted the other end and they awkwardly maneuvered it to the bed. He knew the smartest move was to change the subject. He couldn't. "So, uh… what's your situation now?"

She paused, staring at him. Now he sensed discomfort. Sora dropped the box spring into place and mumbled, "Don't know." They lifted the mattress in silence. He couldn't tell if she was tired of the conversation or if she was really that unsatisfied.

No doubt he'd need her help in the final week of preparations. Depending on how the rest of the day went, they could either be awkward or blissful. A day's worth of hard work and friendly banter with her had revealed an attractive, intriguing option. But his inconclusive probing meant Takuya was playing with fire if he continued. Of course, playing with fire was his specialty.

When the mattress fell into place, Takuya sighed and declared, "And that's the last of them." The two looked at each other, cracked a smile, and fell face-first onto the bed. He had slept on softer, and Christopher and Yushima would be responsible for bedsheets after they left, but after a day's worth of labor the foam alone refreshed him.

He rolled onto his side, facing Sora, who propped herself up on an elbow. He smiled; she returned it. The day had left her grungy with her hair a mess. The smile made her irresistible.

"So… if I was to suggest the idea of you and me as a… thing…"

Her smile broadened, but more incredulous than interested. "Seriously?" Takuya held firm. Eyes rolling, she said, "If I said no, you realize how uncomfortable that makes this week, right?"

Takuya's eyebrows raised. Hearing anything besides a rejection excited him. "Hey, you told me the other day to get uncomfortable."

Sora laughed, her closed mouth unable to contain herself. "And you mean… a thing… not just… ruining this mattress and never talking again. Because that sounds more like you."

"No! I…" He looked her up and down. "I thought we had fun today. Was cool talking to you. You're sure making me feel a lot better about all this. And you're sure not afraid to work up a sweat." He shrugged as best as he could. "I'm kinda into it."

She inhaled once, tilting her head down as she tried to keep a blush in check. "I… I mean I…"

"Don't usually do something so out there? You were telling me to-"

Her lips interrupted him as she pushed forward, sliding straight into a kiss. The force shook him as much as the sensation. He didn't receive her as much as he caught her.

She pulled away once he did, only with enough time to catch her breath before he returned the serve, this time a little wider. His free hand found her shoulder. It was natural, perfect, and he couldn't believe he tried to play this as a game or resign.

Sora let this one last longer before pulling back, staring into his eyes, unable to control her breathing or her smile. From here, Takuya could only think of one thing to do… exactly what was on the schedule.

"Pool?" he asked, breathless himself.

She nodded slowly, repeating, in a whisper, "Pool."

* * *

Tai Kamiya hoped the subdued mixer found the right balance between casual and extravagant. When prior groups arrived, the tradition, dating back to Davis's team, was to go all out with a ceremony, a big dinner, and a party to welcome the new kids and allow them to get to know everybody and swap stories. The sheer numbers made that impossible here, and everyone had to put in extra shifts just to make sure they were fed and had a place to sleep.

To a certain extent, however, he saw value in entertaining the nine representatives. While they didn't bother with a formal initiation ceremony, Command did request a lavish lunch, and set aside some time for a proper tour, a visit to the bath for any who wanted one, and a proper social with as many of the castle residents who could make themselves available. If they were impressed, Tai reasoned they would be more inclined to preach patience to their groups. At the same time, going too far in this direction would be too transparent. Whatever was getting served on those train cars, "lavish" surely wouldn't describe it.

For the most part, he sat back and watched. Most of the international representatives relied on someone from Tai or Davis's teams to show them the rounds. Same for Sampson with Marcus and Yoshi. Tagiru didn't cling to Mikey the way Tai expected, and Ewan insisted he couldn't leave the kitchen.

Tai still wasn't sure about Tagiru. The Fusion Fighters seemed to think of him as too loud, too dim, and too confident: that was after they had met Davis, Marcus, and Takuya! His reaction to Kari's video left a sour taste in Tai's mouth as well. He was content shipping him off to Isthmian, while he had more hope for someone like Haru. While Rhythm had cautioned everyone that he'd have forgotten their prior meeting, they were still pleased to see him again and gave him a warm welcome befitting an old friend.

"Hey, Commander Tai?" Tai had been so busy watching Takato introduce Haru to his friends he didn't notice Daigo right behind him.

"Just Tai's fine," Tai said. "What's up Mr. Nishi-" He caught himself. "Uh, Daigo?"

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" He gestured down the hall, away from everyone else. Tai nodded. Part of his brain still worried about missed homework.

He could only dread what this would be about as they stopped in the hallway in front of the bath. Daigo cast his eyes down for a moment before asking, "So you're from my future but you didn't know I was a digidestined?"

"No," Tai replied. "We heard about a group before us but we didn't know anything about them. Um… I guess sometime when we're less busy we should meet you guys and find out what all you did. I'm sure it was pretty remarkable." As awkward as it was talking to a younger form of his teacher, there was enough mystique around the original digidestined to appreciate the opportunity.

"I guess. I'd hoped we'd have ended up with more of a legacy though."

With a smile, Tai said, "We skipped this because there's so many of you, but part of our initiation usually involves saying thank you for what you did back home. The Digital World is usually kept secret, so not every team gets credit for what they went through. So um… thank you."

Daigo stared back for a while, then sighed and smiled back. "Thanks. But there's one more thing." Tai nodded. "Our Digimon are back to their original forms here. Like they were reset or something. So I was wondering if they get reborn here."

This was far from Tai's specialty, but he needed to say something beyond referring him to the experts. "Uh… I don't know what's up with that." He still couldn't fathom his teacher's partner being one of the Harmonious Ones, and couldn't bring himself to discuss it this casually. "But Digimon do get reborn here. Even if they were originally from a world where they aren't. But we're from the same world. Isn't that how it worked for you guys?"

"You mean Primary Village? Yeah… thanks to us." Daigo glanced aside and mumbled, "That was a weird day. Kinda scared to have babies after that…" Back to Tai, he said, "But my friend's partner was sacrificed. He wasn't reborn."

Tai returned a solemn nod. That kind of tragedy transcended time. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. I know how hard that can be."

"Yeah. Broke Himmy's heart."

"Himmy?" Tai blurted, probably louder than was appropriate given the conversation. "Himekawa?!"

Daigo raised an eyebrow. "You know her too?" He cracked a smile. "What subject does she teach?"

"Um… civics." Something told Tai he didn't want to give too much of their bureau activity away.

"So, now that we're in the Digital World, is there any hope of getting Tapirmon back?"

Tai shook his head. "Not that we know of. Our hospitality head's in the same boat. If he died back home and didn't come back, I don't think there's anything we can do."

"Is this something we can look into? Himmy's got some crazy ideas about ways to bring him back. She thinks there's even a way to reboot the whole world somehow."

A shiver ripped through Tai's body. The reboot was one of the last memories he had of the human world. He recalled thoughts of all their Digimon losing their memories and being pulled away from them. After learning about Rhythm, Izzy even suspected it was responsible for disrupting the dimensional barriers enough to pull them into this world in the first place. Maki was in the middle of it all, but they never suspected her orchestrating it. Learning this now after all these years…

Seeing Tai's reaction, Daigo chuckled. "I know that sounds pretty extreme. Don't worry. It's probably a total pipe dream. But that's how she thinks. And good luck getting her off of it. But maybe if she was to get together with your people-"

"No," Tai interrupted. He took a deep breath, suppressing his desire to go back in time and yell at future Maki. "I've seen some bad stuff happen when you mess with something like that. There's too much out there trying to play God for us to join in."

Daigo held his stare for a few seconds, but then nodded, cracking a smile. "Well, I had to ask. Finding stuff out for our teammates and all." He shrugged. "It makes sense. Hey, maybe it'll get her to move on." He added a sigh.

"We do a memorial every August for Digimon that sacrificed themselves for us. We'll be sure to include him." Sensing the hostilities fading, Tai suddenly found the words more natural and the idea of Daigo less troubling.

"That would be nice. Thanks." Daigo nodded once more and rejoined the party.

Tai sighed in relief, satisfied with navigating a tricky conversation with what felt like a ghost from his past. But he wasn't off the hook yet as Haru tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Hey Tai? Do you have a second?"

It caught him off guard, but he smiled back and said, "Sure!" Tai was happy to talk to Haru again. He remembered the appdriver's quick thinking against Algomon and looked forward to seeing how a full adventure and six years of growth had shaped him.

"First off, thanks for doing all this. I'm still trying to get over being pulled away from my family and my work, but I'm glad you're all trying to help."

"Hey, we get it. We all had to go through the same thing. It's not easy. Takes a while to get used to. But let us know if you need anything."

"Great, because I do." Haru lowered his head and clenching his fists. Even now, Tai still had a couple inches on him. Once Haru looked back up, he said, "During our fight with Leviathan, I lost my best friend."

Tai's eyes widened. He didn't expect that. "You mean Gatchmon?" he responded.

"No… well, yes actually, but I got him back." Haru looked back over his shoulder at his buddy talking the ear off a dumbfounded Guilmon. "I mean my friend Yuujin."

"A… human?" Even the thought made Tai nauseous. That kind of tragedy he didn't have an answer for.

"Well… he was… Yuujin." Tai's blank stare made Haru elaborate: "I thought he was human. He's human to me! I knew him for years! But he was, um… an AI created by Leviathan." He struggled to get that part out.

Now Tai was really lost. "Like a robot or something?"

"An android, technically. But he wasn't really. He meant everything to me. I've been working to bring him back ever since." He looked down and frowned. "All of my work is back home, but now that we're in the Digital World, I wonder if there's still hope."

Tai's gut started telling him this was going to be as bad as talking to Daigo, but he asked, "How do you mean?"

"Well, the Digimon are AI, right?"

"No!" Tai exclaimed. "I mean, maybe. I don't know. But they're way more than just data!" He couldn't believe he had to give this speech to Haru.

The appdriver scratched his chin. "Interesting. Because Appmon are just AI-driven data."

Tai narrowed his eyes. "But… they're so much more than that. They're your friends."

"Exactly!" Haru's face lit up, sensing a breakthrough Tai couldn't perceive. "I'm just trying to bring my friend back! I know it sounds like a fantasy, but if you guys helped out, maybe-"

"No!" Tai couldn't believe Haru was trying to equivocate a Digimon with an evil android. "I can't let you build some robot, especially if it was programmed by the bad guy."

"It's Yuujin!" Haru remained animated. "Obviously I'll strike out all the malicious code. How's this any different than creating a Digimon?"

"It's not. We've seen that before. It wasn't pretty." He pointed back to the hall. "You can ask Ken how that went."

"Okay I will but…" Haru slowed down, tears forming in his eyes. "This is my life now. You can't take it away from me. Please…"

Tai calmed down as well, but held firm. "I'm sorry." He returned to the same thing he told Daigo: "Bad things happen when you mess with stuff like that. There's too much out there trying to play God. We can't join in."

All the life drained from Haru's face, a stream of tears across both cheeks. It was hard for Tai to watch. "Listen… if it helps, we do a memorial every-"

Haru ran past him, back into the hall and then away into the library. Gatchmon saw him, threw a concerned look at Tai, and chased after him.

Tai sat down. He had no doubt he made the right decision, especially after rejecting whatever Maki was willing to try to revive Tapirmon. Consistency was important. But it still stung. He only hoped Haru would recover from this heartbreak, be the model leader Tai knew he could be, and never speak of this again.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 3:** **"Give It Up"**  
Haru, Tagiru, and Daigo receive their first mission: taking out Eaglemon. Tai and Kari scramble when they realize Meiko is among the new arrivals. Mimi and Matt discover Sora's new relationship.

" _So what do we gotta do to get Yuujin back?"_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Before anyone gets their hopes up, we need to clarify that original characters will not be introduced here. We're going to have our hands full with the established cast and new characters that already exist. So while we acknowledge that the other original digidestined and additional internationals are here, and may even get the occasional dialogue or description, they will not be developed or named.

The first draft had Daigo interact with Derek the Australian digidestined instead of Yuri. Since Derek ended up in a scene in a future chapter, he got replaced here to mix things up. While there were a few reasons Yuri got the nod instead, the happy accident clinching it was learning Yuri and Daigo have the same voice actor.

As you can probably imagine, Davis's reaction to seeing Daigo changed dramatically after watching the last tri. movie.

Takuya's line about Christopher sounding like Sora's ex is obviously a reference to Christopher having the same voice actor as Matt in tri. Not that Takuya's one to joke about that since he shares a voice with Matt in Adventure and Zero Two.

The impracticality of rebuilding a functional android with almost no experience leads us to take the assumption that Haru seeing Yuujin in Appmon's epilogue was a hope for the future rather than a literal reality.


	3. Give It Up

**Nexusworld**

 _People tell you to do what they say. They all want it their way._  
 _All that you can do is bite lip or jump ship._  
 _So learn to smile at the ones that hate you._  
 _No matter what they do, they will never make it there:_  
 _To where you know you will be going._  
 _\- I Fight Dragons,_ _"Give It Up"_

 **Episode 3**

Eri Karan gave up trying to get in another fifteen minutes of sleep. The girls responsible for the snoring that had kept her from drifting off were still at it and ensured a second straight night interrupted prematurely. The plastic curtains between the car's sleeping berths offered some privacy, but couldn't block out the sounds or the smells of twenty girls, each with her own competing fragrance. Eri was used to shared dressing rooms, but those girls obsessed over reputation and would never tolerate unwanted odors. Smelling nice was the last thing on anyone's mind here, no matter how many of them needed a shower.

The curtains did at least allow her to dress in peace and she even found the nearest restroom empty. While she freshened up, she heard the outside door swing open and smiled in satisfaction: Dokamon must have been back with breakfast already. Eri could get some fresh air, some food, and then maybe release her frustration over this entire debacle.

It wasn't Dokamon, but rather Suzie from the hospitality crew and her Digimon, armed with large trash bags. She scanned the row of beds and listened to the snoring. Lowering her voice to not disturb them, she told Eri, "Guess I'll pick up later. Does the trash need to be emptied?" She tried to look past Eri into the restroom.

"Definitely." Eri doubted the paper cup she had just discarded would stay atop the heap for long.

As Suzie and Lopmon squeezed past her, Eri asked, "You realize we can't live like this for long, right?"

Lopmon turned and bowed. "Command hopes to move as many as they can in the first week and will actively look for a new home for everyone else."

"How long will that take?"

Suzie dropped the full bag into her larger one. "Well, after we got here it took us a few months to secure the castle."

"Months?!" Eri struggled not to raise her voice, conscious of everyone still sleeping.

"And we were fending for ourselves in the wild before that." Suzie turned to her partner. "Remember how bad that was?"

Lopmon fidgeted. "I don't, Suzie." Now uneasy, Suzie got out of the way so Lopmon could insert a new bag.

"Well, some of us aren't going to make it that long." Eri gestured down the aisle at the berths. "We've got ten year olds here! The Digital World is no place for a ten year old!"

Suzie grinned. "I got pulled in was when I was seven!" With the job done, she pushed her way out the door.

Lopmon followed, stopping first to bow to Eri again. "I assure you everyone is doing what they can."

Eri paused, seething for a moment, a hand balling into a fist. She threw the door open again, thrust out her arm and shouted, "Well do it better!"

On the other side wasn't Suzie, but a paper plate an inch away from Eri's knuckles and a woman cowering behind it. "Sorry!" squeaked Meiko.

Eri's cheeks turned red as she retracted her fist. Both the person and the response threw her off. "Why are you apologizing?" she mumbled. "Anything going on out here?" Other than the remnants of a campfire pit and a couple picnic tables, only a few random Digimon hopped around outside.

"I didn't want to bother anyone so I ate outside."

"So breakfast is ready?" Eri poked her head out the door, then stepped out entirely, letting it close behind her. "Where's Dokamon?"

"He was panicking because he couldn't remember how you like your eggs salted."

"Dokamon…" Eri felt pity for him. "…you know this. Trust your gut."

Meiko turned towards the dining car, scratching her leg with her shoe. "So… are we really going to yell at everyone who comes by?"

Eri stared at her, then sighed, flinging her hands out. "Well do you have a better plan? We can't put up with this. Some of us are going to crack."

"You look pretty tough. I'm sure you'll be all right."

"It's not me I'm worried about!" Even implying that Eri wasn't capable of surviving out here nearly set her off. Whether or not she actually was the center of the universe she claimed to be, she was capable of anything. "It's everybody else. I won't put up with seeing people like this."

Looking down, Meiko said, "Taking our frustrations out on the people taking care of us won't help."

"I have to do something." Eri gritted her teeth. "I will do whatever I can to make these people smile."

Meiko flashed a quick, faint smile, looking up at Eri briefly before casting her eyes down again. "It's a bad situation. We just have to accept it and trust they'll find an answer." Her head picked up, her voice becoming more resolute. "I will say I feel better knowing Tai and his friends are in charge."

"Is this the same Tai who made Haru cry yesterday? Because I really want to punch him for that."

Meiko held her hands out. "He's really good! All of them are. I trust them with my life. And I bet they're working nonstop to find a home for us."

Eri raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what sort of ordeal this girl had to endure, but she couldn't approve of the way Meiko swallowed Command's arguments without question. Even if Meiko was right that complaining wouldn't get them anywhere, being passive felt even worse.

"So what are we supposed to do? They didn't give us many options."

Meiko smiled. "Well, I was going to go hiking in a little while. Did you want to join me?"

The last thing Eri wanted was to be alone with someone who accepted this fate so readily. She turned around and threw the door open. With a dismissive wave, she answered, "Pass."

* * *

Takato Matsuki couldn't believe that of the four team leaders on this mission, he was the captain the others looked up to. With the traditional field test impractical and increasingly dangerous, Command decided to scout the new goggleheads with an actual mission. Eaglemon's surprise attack needed to be dealt with and sending Tagiru, Haru, and Daigo felt like the most efficient way to do it with most of the response team busy helping support the new population. No matter how much of a threat Eaglemon proved to be, Takato couldn't help but be excited.

Tagiru had the same mindset, so much so that Gatchmon constantly shushed him as they surveyed Eaglemon's old compound where the radar said it had retreated to. Daigo said little, too dialed into the mission, fitting what Takato's imagination told him the original digidestined must have been like. Haru, however, was more of a concern. While he nodded along and said all the right things, the hopeful eyes Takato had come to expect were gone and his head hung as they eased their way through the jungle.

Ever determined to validate his captaincy, Takato asked, "So Haru, you said Digimon's a video game in your world?"

Haru's head perked up and a smile broke free. "Oh. Yeah. You too?"

"Yep. Glad it's not just my world. Were you any good?"

Gatchmon snickered. "He's awful at it."

"Gatchmon…" Haru mumbled.

"Heh, don't worry. So was I," said Takato. "That's why I stuck to the card game. Did you ever get past the Dark Masters?"

"I died so many times." The laugh that followed made Takato smile.

"Yep. Grind all you want, they'll still lay you out."

Behind them, Daigo glowered. "Um… guys?" he muttered.

Haru didn't hear him. "One time I thought I had this perfect strategy but nope- killed me with one hit."

"Guys?" Daigo repeated.

"It's the worst feeling, isn't it?" Takato smiled as much at how well this was working as the actual topic.

Nodding, Haru said, "When I finally beat them I screamed so loud my mom freaked out!"

"I uh…" Takato scratched his cheek. "I never actually beat them. I used a cheat code."

Haru laughed again. "Hooray for God Mode!"

"Guys!" Daigo's shout finally snapped them out of their conversation. They froze, each throwing puzzled looks at the digidestined. Daigo glared at both of them. "It wasn't a game for some of us."

"Right… sorry." A snort still escaped Takato's nose.

"Well, I bet you were a lot better against them than we were," said Haru reassuringly.

"Yeah…" Daigo looked away. "Only took one life."

They marched along, reaching a long thicket of shrubs they could only barely see over. "Okay, so Keenan said Eaglemon's base is right on the other side, but there's a ton of traps," said Takato. The difficulty accessing this place and the dangers inside it were the reason for driving his army away to begin with. "Any suggestions?"

Tagiru poked his head into the shrubs, only getting a head full of leaves and branches. "Someone springs all the traps while the rest of us charge in behind him?"

After a round of uncomfortable stares, Takato nodded hesitantly. "Okay… um… that's one. We can build off that."

"I don't think we can build off that," said Daigo.

"I…" Takato took a deep breath. "…am trying to be open to everyone's ideas."

"You have a better plan?" Tagiru fired back. "How many enemy bases have you attacked?"

Daigo didn't flinch. "Three or four, depending on your definition of 'base.' Do we know where the traps are?"

"You know, I really should have asked," Takato replied.

"Got anything, Gatchmon?" Haru asked his buddy.

Gatchmon frowned as he scanned the area. "A little, but it's fuzzy. I'd need to be closer."

"On it!" Gumdramon shouted, landing near Gatchmon, twirling his tail around and knocking the Appmon over the shrubs.

"Gatchmon! Are you all right?!" Haru called after an angry look at Gumdramon and a snickering Tagiru.

"Fine, no thanks to that punk!" Gatchmon resumed his search. "Got it! Four traps! Can't tell what kind though." Suddenly, rapid gunfire rained down on him from four different directions.

As he evaded it, screaming the whole time, Gumdramon listened closely and nodded. "I'm gonna go with turret traps."

"We gotta help him!" Haru shouted.

Tagiru shot up next to him and erupted. "Let me fuse 'em! Can I?! Can I?!"

"Fusion? Is that gonna work?"

"Trust me, I'm a pro!" The moment Haru gave an uneasy nod of consent, Tagiru whipped out his Fusion Loader and Gumdramon sprung into action. "Gumdramon! Gatchmon! Digifuse!"

The Appmon and the Digimon glowed and began the fusion process. Daigo watched in confusion as everyone else eagerly awaited the result.

It ended with Gumdramon and Gatchmon united neither by digifuse nor applink, but Gatchmon's connector cables snaring them together in a tangled mess as the turrets continued to fire on them. They rolled around helplessly, each yelping every time a bullet grazed them. "That just made it worse!" shouted Haru.

Bearmon folded his arms. "Doesn't anyone just digivolve anymore?"

"Digi-Modify!" shouted Takato, slashing a card. "Hyper Wing activate!" Guilmon sprouted white wings and floated into the field. Slowly but steadily, he fireballed or slashed each of the turrets out of commission, allowing Haru and Tagiru to rush in to free their partners.

Daigo raised an eyebrow at Takato. "Guess not," he replied to his partner.

* * *

Thomas Norstein already felt uncomfortable in this meeting, and the guest of honor hadn't even arrived yet. Tai sat at the head of the conference table as usual, with Takuya at the edge along the side. The former seemed to share in the unpleasantness; the latter leaned back in his chair, impatient if anything, but even then with the hint of a grin.

Determined to break the silence, Tai raised an eye at Takuya. "So anything else you need from us for the move?"

Takuya rolled his eyes; they met over this constantly. This one wasn't about that. "Not since last time you asked. Although I guess the sooner you tell us who all you're stealing, the better. I get keeping the internationals together here, but are you keeping any hunters? And who gets Haru's group?"

"We just finished getting everyone's names. We'll work out assignments over the next couple days. Mostly just trying to get hospitality help and maybe replace Jeremy. The only appdriver we want so far is Torajiro. He can help Kari with the videos." He paused as Takuya opened his mouth to make a remark, but decided against it. "But I have an idea for Haru I want to run by you sometime."

"Cool. I want to see how he does today anyway before making a call on him and your teacher." Ignoring the glare from Tai, Takuya stretched his arms. "But yeah, other than that, we're looking good."

Tai smirked. "Sora's not giving you too many problems?"

Still at full stretch, Takuya's smile grew. "What? Sora's been awesome. Couldn't have done this without her." He leaned in towards Tai, still smug. "Honestly, I don't think you appreciate her nearly enough."

Eyes narrowed, Tai had no answer for a moment. "I… mean I thought I did. Just wasn't sure if you two would get along."

Smile still on and in danger of growing, Takuya considered his response.

He didn't get one, as Angie swung the door open and stepped in. "So what's this about?"

"Please have a seat," ordered Thomas. The formal request stunned her. She stood upright and carefully seated herself at the other end of the table. The grins in the room vanished.

"Angie…" Tai squirmed in his seat, dodging eye contact. "We've got to talk about the Eaglemon thing."

A look of dread crossed her face. "The… Eaglemon thing?" she asked.

"Yeah… I guess you took responsibility for putting the tracker on him?" He sighed. "That never happened. That's how he got the drop on us."

"I… I thought I did it." Angie's hands shook. "But hey, t-there was a lot going on. That was right when Kari got hacked. I got distracted, you know?"

Tai slammed his eyes shut, head shaking. "We… we can't afford to get distracted. That really set us back."

"So what are you going to do?! Punish me?!" Tai held up a hand to try to calm her.

Takuya was more neutral: "Uh, well, whoever we put up at Isthmian's gotta stay on top of this stuff, so… we're thinking of going a different direction."

"Who?!" She leaned over the table, eyes stricken with fear. "You're never getting TK up there and Zoe said she didn't want to do it anymore!"

This was Thomas's cue: "The system we use is modified from the DATS program. Someone familiar with that will have no trouble learning ours. As it so happens, our two primary operators were among the arrivals. Our plan is to send one to Isthmian while the other will go wherever we settle the internationals."

Angie stared all of them down, her breath hastening. "But I spent all this time helping Kari and TK."

"Which you can keep doing!" Tai blurted. "We like having you up here!"

"Well, I still have you down for going to Isthmian," said Takuya. "You could either back up Miki or find something else to do."

"Oh uh… your call I guess."

"But you don't trust me to be in charge?" asked Angie. Both Tai and Takuya looked away, rubbing their necks.

A knock on the window made Thomas turn around. It was Miki, along with her PawnChessmon, pointing at him with a wry grin on her face. A sheepish grin crossed Thomas's face as he nodded back at them.

Angie reacted in disgust. "Fine, I understand," she spat, stomping out of the room in a huff.

Tai watched with concern as she waved off Kari's intervention and jumped on the elevator. "Think I should talk to her?"

"What, did you expect her to take it well?" Takuya answered, sizing up his new communications head entering the room.

"Just…" Tai sighed. "Between Haru yesterday and now Angie, I'm just upsetting everybody."

Takuya ignored Miki and leaned into Tai, suddenly angry. "What'd you say to Haru?"

Tai turned to his tactical officer. "Hey, if someone asked to rebuild a dead evil robot, you'd say no, right?" Half at the request, half at Tai's doubt at the answer, Thomas's eyes shot open.

So did Miki's. "Dead evil robot? Did… I come in at a bad time?" she asked.

* * *

Mimi Tachikawa loaded the last vat of curry onto the cart and shouted "Clear!" Ewan tucked a stack of napkins under his arm and pushed it out the door Matt held open. He was almost jogging by the time the door closed behind him. Mimi clapped and raised her arms. "All right! Lunch is served!"

"We're gonna die if we have to keep putting this much out every day," said Tommy.

"One meal at a time. We can do this! Bring it in!" Mimi stretched out her arms. Tommy wasted no time diving under one and clutching Mimi's waist.

"Is this necessary?" asked Matt.

"It's a fight for survival! We are united!" shouted Mimi.

"We have actually had to…" Matt huffed. "Never mind." He joined in, trying not to look at Mimi's grin as he put an arm around her shoulder.

Instead, he ended up looking at Sora, with an equally broad smile as she sealed off the team hug with arms around Tommy and Matt. "I think we can do this. We just have to make it until a third place gets situated. We'll take care of each other until then."

Matt nodded, but as the four pulled away he added, "Except Ewan and I are leaving in a week."

"We'll…" Sora pumped a fist. "We'll manage, right?"

Tommy smiled. "You're really into it today, Sora."

Sora stumbled backwards, arms falling to her sides. Face flushing, she stammered. "W-what do you mean? We need to stay motivated. Nothing's going on."

Mimi's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't going to say anything but… your face is really red."

She eyed Matt, who stared at Sora, then nodded. "Something's up."

"Tommy?"

"On it!" Tommy clutched his D-Tector and ran out the door.

Mimi smiled brightly at Sora. "Whatever's going on, I'm happy for you!"

"Thanks," a discouraged Sora mumbled.

"Matt's happy too, right?"

"Don't make this weird," said Matt, hauling a dirty pot away to distract himself. Sora let a chuckle slip.

After only a minute, Tommy burst back into the room with a big grin on his face. "You and Takuya?!" He gave Sora a big hug. "You're my big sister now!"

Before anyone could react to the news, they stared at Tommy as he nuzzled Sora. "That's messed up," Matt muttered.

Sora gently peeled the boy away. "Uh, wow, um… Tommy?"

Mimi clasped her hands, face erupting. "But Takuya! That's new!"

"Yeah… Takuya." Sora altered her uncomfortable glances between Tommy and Matt.

"Takuya… well, first thing's first." Mimi snapped her fingers. "Matt, leave the room."

"Why?!" Matt cried, before stopping and staring at both Mimi ready to ask a flood of questions and Sora bracing for the inquisition. "Yeah, probably a good idea." He dried his hands and walked out.

Mimi clasped her hands. "So, on your trip to Isthmian I assume?" When Sora gave a reluctant nod, Mimi added, "They do say trains are romantic."

"So is spending all day putting together cheap furniture, it turns out." Sora kept her voice neutral. "I don't know. We talked a lot and…" She sighed. "The way he's been planning all this out and the thought he's put into it, he seems different now. It's a side I never saw before."

"I'm not sure it existed before." Sora conceded a nod. Mimi leaned in further to ask. "And that's really the only reason?"

"Maybe I want to be a little different too. No point being stuck with the same thing anymore."

"That's my girl!" Mimi exclaimed. "I know I don't always get along with Takuya but congratulations. I'm sure it's really exciting!"

Sora smiled, this time brighter and less bashful. "It is!" Now she was more resolute. "And it's made all the prep work a lot more fun to get through."

"Ooh, yeah!" said Tommy, grin widening. "Did you use the pool while you were up there?" Sora's blush returned with a vengeance. "That must have been really fun!"

"Tommy!" Mimi scolded playfully. When Sora shielded her face, Mimi snuck him a grin and a thumb's up.

"You guys really have the wrong idea!" Sora shouted. "We're not… you know… that far."

"Wow, Takuya must be different if he's okay with that," Mimi snickered.

"Well I still-" Sora blurted, stopping herself too late. As Mimi and Tommy peered in, Sora slapped her knees. "Never mind! He's leaving in a week, so what's the point of going there?"

Mimi sighed. "It's just not what I'd expect. Nothing wrong with not wanting to go there."

Sora kept her head buried, glancing up often but never for long. She hesitated a long time before she said, "It's not that-" She saw Tommy, still uncomfortably close, and cupped his ears, turning to Mimi and lowering her voice. "It's not that I wouldn't mind. But why get that close for just a week?"

"I can still hear you," said Tommy. Sora removed her hands in frustration.

"Well, why get close at all for just a week?" Mimi asked, her smile genuine and her voice sincere. "It's such a short time. Do what you want. Nobody's judging. And if he's leaving anyway, no harm done. You'd have to work really hard to mess everything up in a week."

Sora closed her eyes, trying to process such advice. "Do what I want?"

Mimi's smile grew. "Pretty new territory, isn't it?"

* * *

Davis Motomiya hated doing data entry. He was a lousy typist, he made frequent errors, and it was hard to find excitement out of something so inherently repetitive. It fell on him to input the list of names and Digimon Angie had collected before her unceremonious dismissal. Instead of doing it himself, he made TK do the actual typing while Kari explained protocols to Miki.

"Dien… something or other…" Davis mumbled. Non-Japanese names handwritten on a clipboard in pencil didn't lend themselves to being comprehensible.

TK entered the last name with a smile. "I know him. Vietnam and Gorillamon, right?"

"How do you remember all that?" After so long in the Digital World, the specifics of most of the international digidestined were near the bottom of a cluttered heap of memories and impossible for Davis to retrieve.

"Should have helped moderate the forum more. Who's next?"

"Uh… Meiko Mochizuki… Japan…"

"Meiko?!" Tai's outburst caught Davis off guard. The commander had been quiet most of the day, stuck with his own paperwork. Now he was on his feet, stricken with panic. "You mean Meiko's here?"

Davis looked up at TK, who was equally worried. "What part of 'all the digidestined' tripped you up?" Davis asked.

"Wait, so she's been stuck on that train the whole time?"

"Well yeah."

Tai rounded his desk and rushed to the elevator. "Man, we better go get her. Hope she's okay."

"Uh… why wouldn't she be?"

Now Kari stood up. "Davis, we all know those aren't the best conditions. She's our friend. We can't just leave her out there like that."

"Are you going too?" asked Tai.

Kari nodded. "Nefertimon will be faster."

As the elevator door opened, Miki raised a hand. "Hey, my friend's stuck there too, can I-" The doors closed on Tai and Kari before she finished. "Rude," Miki muttered.

Davis looked around in confusion. Both Henry and Thomas ignored the entire conversation, while Miki shook it off and returned to flipping through a documentation manual. He almost didn't see TK sneak past him to the elevator.

Just before TK could press the button, Davis said, "Park it, Takaishi!"

TK spun around, grinning with closed eyes. "I wouldn't mind seeing her again too."

"Too bad. I'm in charge now." Davis pointed at Kari's empty chair. "Jeez, what's the big deal?"

Shrugging,TK sat down. "Maybe you just don't know her like we do."

"Dude, I only know like three things about her. But they all tell me she's doing fine."

* * *

Haru Shinkai stepped carefully through Eaglemon's bunker, stopping at every corner of the hallway ready for the next trap. They hadn't sprung any more yet, but only because Gatchmon spotted the tripwires in time. It wasn't a large building, built mostly into the ground at the center of the compound. It was inconspicuous, and only Keenan's scouting had identified it as Eaglemon's most likely hiding spot.

"We have to be close, right?" Daigo asked, taking the lead as they proceeded through the unlit hall.

"You think we would have heard him by now," said Haru. He turned back to Takato. "We know he's in here, right?"

"This is the main base, and it's where Keenan found him last time." Takato paused. "So I guess this is more of an educated guess."

Suddenly, their radios crackled to life, all with the same message from Tagiru: "Head's up!"

They didn't get a chance to find cover before the entire building rattled. Parts of the ceiling started to cave in, raining down chunks of cement in front of them.

"Okay, time to go!" Bearmon shouted. They turned around to see the entire entrance collapse.

Guilmon dove in immediately to dig them out as Gatchmon monitored the ceiling above them to see if it would fall next. Daigo wasn't going to wait to find out. "Need a hand?" he asked Guilmon.

"I have two but more would be nice," the Digimon replied. Daigo took a deep breath and clutched his digivice.

Seconds later, Bearmon digivolved to LoaderLiomon. Everyone stood back as the big black lion charged at the collapsed ceiling and used its head and mane to bore through. They were outside in minutes.

"Cool, you're alive!" Tagiru shouted, running up to them. "Arresterdramon's got him on the run!"

"Mach Flicker!" Above them, Arresterdramon charged at the golden eagle with a flurry of punches. None of them did damage. Eaglemon slashed at Tagiru's Digimon and flew higher. Arresterdramon recovered and chased after him.

"Uh, you sure your partner can handle that guy?" Takato asked.

Tagiru pumped a fist. "I believe in him!"

They watched the battle turn into an aerial dogfight as Eaglemon peeled off and tried to clip Arresterdramon with his wings, narrowly missing. "What level's your partner at?" asked Daigo.

"The top!" Tagiru answered with a wild grin.

After a series of close shaves, Arresterdramon dodged Eaglemon's beam, failed to do any damage with a counter, then had to avoid another ramming attack. Once he did, he whipping his weighted tail at the enemy, this time connecting and disrupting his flight.

"Spin Caliber!" Arresterdramon swung his tail again at the stunned bird. The anchor connected with a deafening clang against golden armor. But as much force as the dragon put into his attack, he couldn't penetrate. Eaglemon recovered enough to grab the tail and fling it away, lining up another charge.

"Uh, I don't know if you can break through that armor," said Takato. "Gallantmon's spear could do it if you-"

"No way!" Tagiru shouted. "I got this!"

Eaglemon rammed into Arresterdramon, nearly knocking him out of the sky. "Tagiru…" Haru mumbled, wincing.

"He's right," said Daigo, clenching a fist and standing beside Tagiru. The calm demeanor he had worn for most of the mission had reached a boil. Now he gritted his teeth as he watched the battle, the stakes somehow raising for him even as Arresterdramon recovered. "You told us to do this," Daigo spat. "We're doing this."

Whether it was Daigo's sudden investment in the battle or the realization that Arresterdramon, scrappy as he was, could never topple Eaglemon on his own, Haru felt the same surge of motivation. Until now he had been a spectator, content to let Tagiru do the heavy lifting. Now he viewed the fight differently, and soon after the plan became just as apparent.

"Appmon chip- ready!"

He bristled with excitement as the Appdrive whirred into action. Gatchmon had never left his side, but in six years he hadn't much use for the big guns. Haru trembled with anticipation and a twitching smile as Globemon finished loading and arrived, his shiny frame towering over his buddy's head.

"Aw, now we're talking!" Tagiru said with a smirk, catching sight of him from the corner of his eye.

"Schwert Cutter!" Globemon launched into the air, firing beams from its fist at Eaglemon. The enemy read it and dodged, but leaving him exposed enough to catch a fist from Arresterdramon that proved harmless.

Globemon slowed and turned around, but didn't rejoin the skirmish right away. Instead he let Eaglemon continue against Arresterdramon. Despite the strength advantage, Eaglemon still had to evade and adjust to everything Arresterdramon did. Globemon observed every move, only throwing cover fire when Eaglemon threatened to win. Haru circled around to get closer to his buddy and see his vantage point better.

Once it had learned enough, Globemon waited for Eaglemon to swoop down into Arresterdramon. The Appmon picked his spot, charged, and fired: "Glanz Gazer!"

Not only was the massive beam a direct hit, it also struck Eaglemon at the right angle to send him spinning down towards the other three boys. Just the way Haru drew it up: he shouted across the field for Daigo.

The digidestined didn't need the hint. LoaderLiomon leaped after Eaglemon now that he was in range. "Boring Storm!" His mane spun around, making his head a giant buzzsaw as he collided with Eaglemon. Arresterdramon flew in and circled around, enveloping him in place so LoaderLiomon could finish drilling. The armor sparked and whined, but in time gave way. LoaderLiomon sliced through him, and in one explosive burst dismantled the enemy, releasing his data into the air.

Haru gasped at first. He had never seen an Appmon just die like that, and the sight of it, no matter who owned the data, stunned him. He looked across the field at the other three. Takato grinned, bouncing on his feet. Tagiru held his Fusion Loader out but, after a moment of confusion, withdrew it and shook Daigo's shoulder in celebration. Daigo laughed, then faced Haru. The appdriver's nerves had been settled: this was expected and desired.

He gave them a thumb's up. In response, Daigo threw a lazy fist into the air.

* * *

Kari Kamiya hadn't seen the camp in person yet, but was relieved to find it clean and stable enough. She recognized a couple of the digidestined eating at the picnic tables or playing with their Digimon, and even waved at one of the Poi brothers who had noticed her. It was less than ideal, of course, but nothing was revolting. Until they found something more permanent, she told herself this would suffice.

Her brother asked her to knock on the door of the girls' car. As they waited for someone to answer, Agumon sniffed the air and asked, "Can we stay for lunch?"

"Don't start that now," muttered Gatomon.

The door opened. At first they didn't recognize the girl on the other end. But then the brown bangs, weary eyes, and especially the long, stiff expression on her lips conjured a name.

"Himekawa?" Kari was surprised it came to her.

"You must be the people in charge." Maki's voice was cold. "This is apparently my revenge for laughing at Daigo's goggles back then."

Tai coughed, doing his best to avoid glaring and instead attempting sympathy. "Sorry to hear about your partner."

Maki blinked. "But not sorry enough to let me do something about it."

"Yeah…" Now he couldn't help but peer into her eyes, his back straightening. "We've run into problems before."

Kari clasped her hands. "How's everything else?"

Maki eyed the car's interior. "Cramped, smelly, I trust exactly four people here, and I had to fall asleep to the sound of a child crying."

"Bet you'll grow to love that," Tai muttered. Gatomon kicked his shin.

"Do you really have a plan to fix this?"

Tai grimaced. "We're working on it. Really, we're doing everything we can."

Kari nodded. "We're concerned with everyone's welfare."

Maki sighed, unsatisfied by the answer. "Maybe those hunter kids were on to something with the hostages."

Throwing his hands up in defense, Tai said, "C'mon, you just have to trust us!"

"I've learned not to trust authority."

Tai stared at her in exasperation. "Wish we'd learned that one sooner."

After a long pause, Kari forced a smile. "Anyway, have you seen Meiko?"

Maki furrowed her eyebrows. "Tallish girl, glasses, always stares at me when I'm not looking?"

"Sounds right," Tai replied.

"Haven't seen her. Think she went hiking or something." She glared at them once more. "Is that all you wanted?" They quickly nodded. She slammed the door in front of them.

They stared at it in silence. "That was intense," Agumon said.

Tai looked down. "I forgot that thing with Angie yesterday."

"Don't worry, Tai. We won't let that happen to you."

"I know it's just…" He cringed. "Rough couple of days for her."

"Tai? Kari?" They heard the voice behind them and nervously turned around. They couldn't remember Meiko ever having a brighter smile. "It's nice to see some familiar faces."

They rushed up to her. "Is everything okay?" Tai asked.

"We didn't know you were here. We're really sorry," added Kari.

Meiko leaned back, eyes darted between the siblings. "Oh, I'm… fine. Considering…"

Tai leaned in. "Considering?"

"Well, being pulled away from home suddenly and stuck in here forever is pretty intense… but we're all going through that, aren't we?" She looked around at the nearby grove and a distant bluff. "Otherwise, I like it here." Her hand moved to her mouth as she giggled. "It's certainly better than Tokyo."

Kari and Tai shared a blank stare, prompting Meiko to hold a hand out, suddenly in panic. "Sorry! I didn't mean it's a bad place. It just… wasn't for me."

Tai burst out a grin and a laugh. "Nice seeing you again. It's been a while. Guess it's been six years after we met you, huh?"

"Hm?" She looked confused. "No, Mina said it was six years after MaloMyotismon."

"That was only for everyone who was there."

"But I was," Meiko replied. Tai and Kari's eyes bulged. "I thought all the digidestined were. I just sort of hung around in the back with the Korean kids hoping Meicoomon didn't attack anybody."

The Kamiyas' eyes started twitching as they slowly turned to each other. "I never told you guys that, did I?" Meiko asked, suddenly uneasy. "Sorry. When were you pulled in here?"

"Right after the reboot," Tai answered, making Meiko gasp. "All this might have started because of the reboot."

Meiko's head shook. "I'm really sorry."

Kari held up a hand. "Don't. We don't have all the details about what happened, but it's not your fault."

"I know, I know…" Meiko closed her eyes and nodded repeatedly. "I swear I've been better about that. You all saw me at my very worst back then. I still can't believe you were so nice to that me."

Resisting the urge to reach forward and take her hand, Kari settled for a warm smile. "We understand. We all had a lot of growing to do."

"And it was so long ago there's no sense pointing fingers," Tai added, peeking over his shoulder at the train door. "For the most part."

Meiko noticed. "Oh did you see Miss Himekawa too?" Her eyes narrowed. "Ain't that the strangest thing?"

Tai nodded. "I understand why she's that age and why she's here. But it's hard to get used to."

"It's hard to be around her knowing how much she was responsible for. I guess that's not fair, but…"

"Well, that's why we're here!" Tai's face instantly brightened. "We'd be pretty awful friends if we just left you here on your own. You can stay with us at the castle."

"But I thought that was only for the representatives and specialists for now."

"We'll call you a specialist!" Tai said with a laugh. "We've got plenty of stuff to do!"

"I know Jeri needs a lot of help in hospitality," said Kari. "Maybe you can work with Mimi!"

"Oh… I know it would be silly to turn it down, but…" Meiko bit her lip and looked at the door again. "There has to be so many more that deserve to get out of here more than I do."

"Meiko…" Tai scolded, startling her. "You don't have to do that to yourself. We're not taking no for an answer."

She labored for a while, then nodded sharply at them. "All right, but under one condition." She squeezed past them and ran into the train car, emerging a couple minutes later with a duffel bag around her shoulder and two young children in each hand. The girl couldn't have been more than 10, with the boy even younger. Both had messy brown hair, the girl's at least in braids. Kari suspected they were siblings. Meiko whispered something to the girl, who ran off while the older digidestined brought the boy to Tai and Kari.

"You're taking them with me," Meiko declared. "There's no one else from their world here. There's nobody to take care of them besides their partner. We put Mako in the girls' car last night to keep him and his sister together."

Mako shuddered. "I shouldn't have to grow up this young."

Kari bent down to look at him at his level. "You were partnered to a Digimon six years ago?"

When Mako nodded, Meiko said, "Guess whoever chooses digidestined in other worlds are just as cruel as ours."

Tai rubbed his hands together. "Well, I'm sure they can help out in hospitality too. Jeri will take good care of them."

Any response was drowned out by a loud shrill voice rounding the train: "What, you think I want to live in some stuffy castle and be pampered head to toe all day!?" The tiny purple Digimon moaned to the girl as they came into view. "Not saying I don't deserve it but yeesh, it ain't my life, sweetie."

Glancing down at his digivice to confirm, Tai grimaced. "That's Impmon…"

Kari noted the D-Power around the girl's neck. "That's Jeri's Impmon…"

Meiko patted Mako's shoulder, and Ai's when she joined them. "All right, let's go. I can't wait to meet this Jeri!"

* * *

Zoe Orimoto shouldn't have been so surprised to see Izzy toil away at his laptop alone in the library. He usually was whenever she saw him. But in the middle of all the furor over these new arrivals, Izzy being so far removed from it didn't seem right. Whether that meant helping secure arrangements or researching the phenomenon bringing so many into the world at once, she assumed he'd be in the center of the storm somehow.

There were no signs of melancholy on his face, just the attentive stare of an obsessive mind dialed into a project. Zoe imagined it anyway. He swore his involvement with the investigation team was out of an interest to discover more clues in the field. She suspected it was the easiest way to distance himself from his past mistakes.

Despite all that Izzy had done to hurt Kari, and all Kari had done for Zoe, she felt an uncomfortable sympathy for him. At no point did she feel Izzy was treated unfairly, nor did she have any drive to help him patch up whatever friendships he had let wither. Still, she saw what he was now: isolated, remorseful, and probably desperate for some sort of companionship beyond his computer and Tentomon.

It compelled her to sit next to him and peek at his screen, filled with news stories collected in their raid the week before. "I'm surprised you're not asking more questions about all these new kids," she said.

Izzy jolted when he heard her speak, turning to her, cheeks flushed as they always did. "Well… to be honest, there isn't much to say about the new kids. The large number was due to something that happened in Mikey's world. It's fascinating, of course, but we'll never know what went on over there." He kept his voice down, expressing little enthusiasm. Zoe found that strange, especially hearing him say "we'll never know." That didn't sound like an Izzy answer.

"Still, it's gotta be pretty frantic up there. Have to admit these are the times I miss being upstairs." She raised her eyebrows, giving him his opening. Instead he just returned to his computer in silence. The lack of keystrokes made her wonder whether he was really working.

"Finding anything good?" she asked, tacking away from his issues and towards his interests.

"Maybe," he answered. "There are news stories about Digimon attacks around the world."

"The human world?" she blurted, prompting a nod from Izzy. "How's that possible?"

"They all seem to be describing events in Marcus's world." He paused, leaning back in his chair, eyes narrowing. More inquisitive, he added, "And only Marcus's world."

"That doesn't make much sense. I thought everybody's worlds were attacked." Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Lucemon certainly tried."

"And Marcus's world isn't the only one where Digimon are known to the public. So why is it the only one getting reported?"

"Yeah, it's not like they were the last ones here."

Izzy's head darted her way, eyes still searching for something as they peered at her. Through her even. She didn't think she had said anything provocative, but he probed anyway, searching for an answer she must have led him closer to. Zoe couldn't turn away, fascinated as she watched the wheels of a genius's mind turning up close. Every twitch of his eye, every flicker from his thick brows made her want to unravel more.

"Hey!" The shrill voice almost made her jump. As she turned away, hiding her sudden blush, Jeremy grabbed a chair and sat behind them, stains on his shirt and reeking of gasoline. He wore a smile that lasted until he saw the data on Izzy's screen. "Oh, I thought you were playing something."

Izzy didn't miss a beat, turning his way, eyebrows furrowing. "Jeremy, was there any media coverage of either Bagramon or Quartzmon's attacks?"

"Huh? No." Jeremy folded his arms, looked down and shook his head. "Shame too, because nobody gave us any credit for saving the world. Anyone who saw Bagramon thought it was just their imagination. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Exceedingly common, unfortunately," Izzy replied, stroking his chin. "So your attacks didn't make the news… have you ever done anything outside of Digimon that made the papers?"

"You bet! Won the city kendo tournament junior year!" He eyed Zoe, flashing her a grin. She giggled, still unable to hold a straight face at his obvious primping.

Izzy entered something into his computer and popped up a result. "Tokyo city high school kendo tournament: Musashi Kenzaki defeats Jeremy Tsurgi in the finals," he read. Zoe's giggle turned into a full outburst.

Jeremy jumped to his feet. "We both advanced to regionals! It was like winning!" Her laughter didn't stop. With a sigh, he added, "Where did you find that? Thought we didn't have access to the real world."

"Human world," both Izzy and Zoe corrected, though his was neutral and hers was far more jovial.

"This was from a database we recovered here," said Izzy. "The same one with the news stories from Marcus's world. You would think this would have news stories from this world's corresponding reality."

Finally settling down and patting Jeremy's shoulder, Zoe asked, "So what does that mean for the human world here?" The last time anyone had been able to go to a human world, they ended up in Haru's instead, so the prospect felt unlikely.

Even if it was a regular Investigation Team subject, she still felt proud seeing Izzy's appreciative smile. "Well, this is the strongest evidence yet against the existence of one."

"Ooh, how do you figure?" She glanced at Jeremy. His eyes narrowed, likely surprised she was not only following this conversation, but participating with interest. It made her want to contribute even more.

"Because this world thinks it's there," Izzy replied. "Many of this world's physics and features are defined by the will of its two creators, but I've always doubted that Algomon and Rhythm mapped out every mountain and forest here. Especially since so much is an amalgamation of all of our worlds. That could be all left to chance, with only our worlds back home as a reference."

Zoe nodded along, but didn't see how all that mattered. "Okay, but all of our worlds have a human world."

"Precisely!" He pointed at her, face lighting up with excitement. "They may interact with them differently, but all of our Digital Worlds function as an attachment to a human world. So unless they go through the trouble of programming it differently, the only option for this world is to think it's tethered to one. That's probably what all these trunks store. All this digital data is copied from our worlds and distributed here for the world to interface with."

"So how does it pick which world's data to use?" Zoe asked, solely to pretend she was keeping up with Izzy's intellect.

"It probably adds in whatever it can with each discovered world and overwrites anything with a conflict. The reports of Digimon attacking Marcus's world likely replaced stories from ours and Takato's worlds. Jeremy's world didn't have any so Marcus's data still stands."

Jeremy leaned in, narrowing an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is…" He grinned at Zoe. "I'm city kendo runner-up here too!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but Izzy shrugged. "Well, at least until the information from Haru's world replaces it."

"Not if I can help it! When's he getting back? We'll settle this first thing!"

Cheeks filled with contained laughter, Zoe felt the same urge to correct him as Izzy surely did. But she held back and watched him march off with such gusto. She turned back to Izzy and let it out, a hand clutching his shoulder for balance. Izzy joined in, more restrained and with a nervous glance at her hand, but she could tell he shared the sentiment.

* * *

Sora Takenouchi had no idea how the conversation would play out once she opened the door to Takuya's office. She still wasn't sure what she wanted. A relationship with an automatic expiration date was already impossible for her to picture. How else could she have ended up in one if she hadn't glossed over his imminent departure? Its freshness carried with it both the thrill of the new connection and the lack of any serious investment to shed too many tears over the inevitable. This felt delightful. But what was the best way to fully capitalize on it?

She longed for physical intimacy more than she liked to admit. But she treasured it as the culmination of a heightened connection as much as the sensation of the act itself. Her respect for its power also made her squeamish about sharing it with anyone else. It magnified the consequences of every bond it touched. Good decisions became life-affirming; bad ones were ruinous. Even worse, it was never clear which was which at first.

Her two partners thus far had proved this. Back home, Sora's relationship with Matt had so many abrupt pauses, ends, and flare-ups that by the time sex became a realistic, desirable option for them, they were smart enough to realize how foolish it was. Their first time happened spontaneously during their team's horrible pre-castle years in this Digital World. The eight of them had just escaped from a vicious battle where a stray bullet ricocheted into TK's leg. The amount of spilled blood scarred everyone. Matt, of course, but also Sora, who had to assist Joe through every stitch of triage. They were so drained and demoralized that the simple news of his brother's survival was an angel's blessing. Desperate for something to cling to, they found each other and had no room to care what came next.

The regret followed immediately. It was raw, unskilled, and unsafe. And discretion was impossible in a camp shared with six close friends and eight nosy Digimon. Nobody else had the energy to call them out, but the stares said enough. That's why they continued: if everyone else was too dead to challenge behavior that gave the tiniest hint of life, why stop? The others' frustrations may have come out in other ways and escalating the relationship exposed cracks that would shatter later, but it helped them survive and Sora was grateful it happened.

Tai, on the other hand, was natural and blissful, a feeling of freedom from her limbo of waiting for someone who may not ever appear. But of course he did, and the break was prolonged and messy. She was deeply close to Tai, but not in the right way, making it too easy to slip into his arms but too hard to commit to them. Even after he decided they were a bad idea, and even after she accepted that he was probably right, ending it entirely was hard. Occasionally they would surrender to trysts that were only healthy to the degree they could laugh about how unhealthy they were. Every time she would reflect on how badly she needed to escape, which she'd abandon the next time she felt worn down or saw the same weariness around his eyes.

Sora sized up plenty of new prospects. She entertained a date or two, but felt no sparks with anybody. Without the years of mutually traumatic adventures forcing the sorts of transcendent relationships she had with her original team, her new suitors were just more friendly faces in the castle. Takuya wasn't friendly enough for her to feel that way, and their project had apparently been enough of a mutual adventure for her to fall into this. But compared to Tai and Matt, he was a stranger. The way she struggled with them, how could she trust herself with this?

Rather than let herself dwell on it any longer, she threw the door open. The temporary office had no drawers or filing cabinets—not that Takuya would have used them anyway—so stacks of folders and papers littered the floor. Sora tiptoed around them all on her way to him, too focused on whatever was on the table in front of him to acknowledge her with anything more than a side glance.

Once she reached him, he turned to her, raising off his chair to kiss her. Sora leaned into it, pushing in for more, drawing in his heat. Takuya pulled away, a satisfied grin on his face.

She expected him to prolong it, forcing a decision then and there. Instead he asked, "Hey, do you think Angie would be good running hospitality?"

"Uh… huh?" Somehow, despite his clear delirium, his head was still on his work. Not only did that catch Sora off guard, so did the question itself. "I thought Angie was communications."

"Yeah, well it turns out Angie messed up and caused the whole Eaglemon thing and one of the new girls knows the system really well, so everyone agreed to change it up."

"That's harsh. Poor thing." Sora stopped herself from pushing back too hard. Takuya did say everyone, meaning it was a group decision, probably using more information than she had. "She'd be great in hospitality depending on who she's working with."

"Only one outside of kitchen we know for sure is Ryouma." Takuya paused as he realized the issue there. "He and Angie aren't gonna work, will they?"

"Probably not. Really, Ryouma?" Sora hadn't heard much about the new hunters, but Ryouma and Ren had revealed plenty with their stunt the day before.

"His idea. Said he didn't trust anyone else to keep conditions up to his standards."

She wasn't sure how to respond, and in the delay a chuckle burst out of Takuya. "Plus if he runs things at Isthmian and they put that Meiko in charge of the leftovers, all three hospitality heads had their Digimon whacked. I don't know why that's funny, but-"

"Meiko?!" Sora's outburst was delayed. She managed to process her arrival, but the second part…

"Yeah, she's one of yours, right?"

"Yes, but… you mean Meicoomon's…?" She staggered backward, bracing her arm against the wall. Sora hadn't thought about the situation they had left back home in a long time. They had far more pressing things to worry about in this world. Once Davis's team arrived, a few years older, healthy enough, and under an agreed gag order, she assumed their human world counterparts had resolved everything optimally. The notion they couldn't save everybody stung.

"I thought Davis and them told all you guys everything?"

Sora shook her head. "Not all of us. And not everything. There's no way they could have all the details. I just figured…"

Takuya jumped out of his chair and scooped her into his arms. Before she realized it, her chin was on his shoulder and his body enveloped her. Being in the embrace made her feel that heat again. She closed her eyes and squeezed him.

"Hey, whatever happened, it's all over." It wasn't the most soothing voice or the most sympathetic of words, but he did jump out of his work the moment he saw her struggling. "You're through it, she's through it, and if she's not over it… well… I don't know, maybe Koichi has an opening."

With a snort, she replied. "Maybe we can try something else before resorting to that." She was less calmed than amused.

"Yeah, probably. That's definitely not my thing." They huddled together for an extended pause, long enough for her to dwell on just how warm he felt, before he added, "But I'm guessing I shouldn't say 'whacked,' huh?"

Sora pulled away, her hands finding his shoulders, her eyes meeting his. "That would help, yes."

"Hey, I'm trying!"

"I know, and I…"

She wanted it. The fleeting thought popped into her head at random, disrupting her words of encouragement and taking over with no concern for civility. Takuya was trying so hard at not only his Isthmian project, but accepting her pace and consoling her worries as if he wanted her to be his forever. Sora couldn't commit to that, but if he could throw himself fully at whatever it was they had, so could she.

"What?" he whispered. She pulled him in for another kiss, this one deeper, longer, enough to explore everything within her reach. The warmth was undeniable.

Shame it wasn't the only thing on her mind. Sora pulled away, glancing down when she said, "Well, first I need to see Meiko. Get that off my mind. But um…" She took a deep breath. "Was thinking maybe we could get together again tonight."

"Oh… well yeah, of course." She looked into his eyes again. She didn't throw any intentional signals into her gaze, but he still blinked and said, "Or wait do you mean you wanna…?"

She smiled and nodded. "Is that okay?"

"Well, yeah, yeah!" Sora reveled in Takuya's blush. "I just um… sorta figured you didn't want to."

"It's less about whether I want to than whether we should."

"And…" He gulped. "…we should?"

"I have no idea." Her eyebrows raised. "Let's find out."

* * *

Tagiru Akashi didn't get the hero's welcome he expected back at the castle, but it didn't dampen his spirits in the least. They had emerged victorious in their mission and could now bask in Command's praises. The win over Eaglemon meant a step closer to the pinnacle he had once achieved. Every move forward deserved to be celebrated.

In the middle of the hall, Takato looked around, then turned to them and shrugged, "So yeah, you guys are free to do whatever you want. Grab some food, hit the bath. If you wanted to start crashing here, I'm sure they'll work something out. Otherwise, another train should be heading back in a little while."

"Takato!" Tai sprinted up to them. "Glad you're back," he huffed. Only then did he notice the other three and their partners. "Oh, uh, how'd it go with Eaglemon?"

"Great! They took care of him like pros."

"Good good…" Tai looked them over and mumbled, "Hey, great job." Tagiru returned a smile, Daigo a hard stare. Haru leaned back, eyebrows narrowing.

Tai turned back to Takato, not that his mind ever strayed. "So, Takato, we uh, may have accidentally…" He gulped. "…signed up Impmon's partners to work under Jeri." With an exhale, he added, "How much did we just screw up?"

Takato smiled and chuckled to himself. "Ai and Mako? Oh, that's not such a big deal. Scale of one to ten on how awkward this'll get, it's only about a five. Want me to catch you up?"

"If you could," Tai said with a bow.

Nodding, Takato turned back around to his three charges. "Yeah, so you three are all set. I'll take care of debriefing. Good job!" Tai rushed an appreciative nod and the two headed for the elevators.

Once they were gone, Daigo shouted, "You're welcome!"

Tagiru stretched out, his smile never fading. "We should hit that bath to celebrate! Who's in?"

"No thanks." Daigo shook his head. "I should get back. See how my team's holding up."

His smile took on more mischief as he leaned in and needled Daigo. "And by team you mean that Himmy girl, right? I see what's going on here!"

Daigo heaved a sigh. "I don't even know what's going on here. Wish it were that simple." With another head shake, he and Bearmon left for the train terminal.

In response, Tagiru slid over and wrapped an arm around Haru. "Guess it's just us then!"

"I don't know," Haru replied, avoiding eye contact. "It's not really fair to Gatchmon if he can't go in."

"Nah, go nuts," Gatchmon said, waving him away. "I gotta figure out where they hide the Gatchmonaka around here."

"What's that?" Gumdramon asked.

Gatchmon's eyes snapped open. "You've never heard of Gatchmonaka?!" He pushed Gumdramon towards the kitchen. "We gotta fix this! Maybe all you need to straighten you out is a taste of the good life!"

As their mons retreated, Tagiru pulled Haru toward the bath. "C'mon! At least get that crap out of your hair. Leave it in there and it'll turn green!" Haru relented, but said nothing as he followed Tagiru in.

He continued to say nothing, returning only simple affirmations and forced smiles when Tagiru talked about all the coolest parts of their battle as they undressed and washed up. The disinterest didn't annoy Tagiru as much as Haru's failure to admit he didn't care about anything said.

"But you know what really ticks me off?" he asked, glancing at Haru to see if he'd catch the sudden change in subject.

"Hm?" Haru faced forward, scrubbing the last bits of bunker ceiling out of his hair.

Tagiru looked down. "People who aren't honest with themselves."

"Okay?"

He waited for it to register. It didn't. "Something's bugging you and you don't want to talk about it."

Haru sighed. "More like… I can't talk about it with you."

"What?!" The bluntness stunned Tagiru into losing his grip on the spray hose, shooting a fresh blast of hot water into his back. He jumped up and yelped in exaggerated shock as water continued to spill across the floor. Tagiru sat back down and took the hose again, grinning at Haru like nothing had happened.

Despite the unamused reaction, Haru said, "Sorry. That was harsh."

"I'd say so!" Tagiru's smile grew. "I like it." At least it was honest.

Haru turned his water off and entered the bath proper, silent until Tagiru joined him a minute later. "But you understand, right? We met yesterday. Turns out I need to be careful who I talk to here."

"Ooh, some secret that can't get out?"

"It shouldn't be." Haru was louder, resolute and defiant against… something. Tagiru waded closer, growing desperate to find out what.

"Well, I hope you know we're tested battle brothers now! And that means you can tell me anything and I've got your back!" Tagiru slapped Haru's back for emphasis.

Haru cringed at the gesture, but he did turn to Tagiru, staring at an eager, receptive face. Perhaps he confused it for an understanding one. "You're… not going to tell anybody?"

"Not on my life!" The anticipation was killing him.

"Okay… just… don't freak out."

Through moments of hesitation, Haru slowly told the story of Yuujin. Tagiru heard about his deep friendship with Haru, his troublesome origins and eventual betrayal, and his ultimate redemption and sacrifice. Tagiru took it all in, mouth open wide, and needed a moment to process it before coming up with a thought as sincere and thoughtful as he could muster: "You were friends with a Terminator?!"

Haru let his head fall back into the water, staring up at the ceiling, already regretting the conversation. "I mean… I guess if you take out the time travel…" He popped back up. "But I want to bring him back! Just my Yuujin, not the one working for Leviathan. A good guy!"

Nodding repeatedly, Tagiru said, "Right, that's Terminator 2!"

He got a stare and dead silence in return. "Have you seen any other movies about artificial intelligence?"

"Uh… Age of Ultron?"

"Okay… um…" Haru held out his left hand. "So I want to create Vision…" Then he held out his right hand. "…but when I explained this to Tai he thought I wanted to create Ultron."

Tagiru blinked, then exclaimed, "That is so not fair!"

Haru shrugged. "Yeah. I've been researching this for six years. Tai just killed it in one day."

"Well…" Tagiru scrambled for something to say. As much as Tagiru wanted to revel in all the details about killer android friends, he saw how strongly Haru felt about this and imagined the injustice of having his life's work tossed out over a misunderstanding. He had his own ambitions and his share of doors slammed in his face. He could imagine few things worse than grounded dreams.

As Haru sank into the water, Tagiru asked, "But you've got other friends here. What did they say?"

Head perking up, Haru answered, "My friends?" He stared at the wall. "They… know how much this means to me. They knew Yuujin. They understand. They're upset too." A tiny smile appeared.

"Nah." Tagiru scoffed. "A real friend would say 'so what do we gotta do to get Yuujin back?'"

"Tagiru that's…" Haru took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea how much work this is? It was hard enough back home. It took me all this time to get a code I was happy with. I hadn't even started on the speech or the robotics. And I'm way behind on facial recognition. Dr. Ishiguro only started answering my emails last year." He stopped and slowed down. "Unless we can recover all this data, I have to start all over again. I don't want to believe it's impossible. But without Command supporting me and helping with the resources I need, it might be."

Most of that flew over Tagiru's head. A bunch of action movies was hardly a worthy primer on artificial intelligence. Haru seemed to read that, and nodded back, defeat in his eyes. "Maybe I should be happy Tai saved me the trouble. Guess it's better to be stopped now than waste my time." He turned away from Tagiru, head lowered as he soaked. An exhale brought bubbles to the surface.

That's when Tagiru realized what he had to say: "So what do we gotta do to get Yuujin back?"

Haru's head rose, but only to say, "Did you hear everything I just said? How am I supposed to do all that?"

"Man, I didn't follow a word of it. But you already did it once, right? Just do it again! I'll help!"

"How?! With no access to the internet? With no way to get resources?"

Tagiru nodded aggressively. "Okay, okay, internet, resources… getting a checklist here!"

"Yeah, a checklist with…" Haru trailed off. He faced Tagiru but didn't look at him. His head and his eyes were somewhere else, nodding as he conjured pieces into place. "…I mean I guess I could…"

"Pssh, don't guess, just do it."

Now Haru focused on his companion. He seemed in awe. "You… really want this to happen."

"You bet I do! I'm not letting these guys screw you over on day one without a fight! And now I need to see this Yuujin guy! He sounds awesome!"

"He really is." Haru looked down, biting down on his tiny smile. "He deserves another chance. I still don't know if it's possible, but I need to try to give him one."

"Promise to give it everything?" Tagiru held out a hand.

Haru stared at it. As he clasped it, he whispered. "Everything." Then he pulled Tagiru into a hug, never releasing. Tagiru heard a sniffle. It only made his smile wider.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 4:** **"Come Alive"**  
Final assignments are squared away, including jobs for Astra, Airu, and Rei. Meiko tries to convince Eri to work with her. Koichi is unsettled by the presence of Impmon, Ai, and Mako. Sora's intimacy with Takuya leads her down an unexpected path.

" _I don't know if I'm the best person for my job, but I do know you're the best person for yours."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Like Palmon last season, memories of reborn Digimon are wiped. Lopmon unable to remember the pre-castle days is a reminder of that.

One nice thing about pretending Hunters had a dub is Tagiru and Haru would both understand "fusion" as a concept.

Musashi Kenzaki was the kendo enthusiast featured in one episode of Hunters. I still don't understand how Zenjirou didn't feature in that one.

Obviously we're running with the assumption that Meicoomon wasn't reborn. It's one of the few curveballs the new series could potentially throw at us, but Meiko's partner dying permanently is such a fitting ending I'd be angry about that for more reasons than just messing this story up.

Hiroshi Ishiguro is a leading researcher in robotics and AI, noted for his work creating robots that look, feel, and act like humans. If Haru was serious about seeing Yuujin again, Dr. Ishiguro would undoubtedly be a hero and mentor.


	4. Come Alive

**Nexusworld**

 _I see your glimmer up ahead. Outrun the stars to follow it._  
 _You take my hand, I glow. Am I the only one who_ _'s ever told you so?_  
 _Oh, I was walking in a straight line._  
 _But you got me running and it feels so right._  
 _\- Astoria Kings,_ _"Come Alive"_

 **Episode 4**

Michael Barton knew he wasn't the only one in the room running out of patience. The game faces on the other four international representatives showed signs of cracking as they listened to all the reasons they weren't any closer to having a home. Catherine's smile had the power to brighten any room, but she tucked it away after the first few minutes. Mina's judgmental stare came out even faster. The African and South American reps sat back, one with arms folded, the other with hands covering his mouth. If Tai and Thomas did have a plan for this meeting, the audience didn't help them execute it.

Waving over a map of the continent, Tai sounded almost apologetic. "It looks like there's a ton of space here, but Digimon occupy so much of it and believe me we don't want to make any of them mad."

"But how do you know?" Mina asked. "Surely you can't have every inch of land mapped out."

"We've had teams patrolling the area for years. Henry was on one for a long time. We know the neighborhood," said Thomas.

"Is that so?" Mina stood and approached the map, refusing eye contact with Thomas or Tai. She scrutinized the continent, then pointed to a green field to the southeast, next to a small lake. "What's wrong with this place?"

"Data streams everywhere. Good chance of waking up one morning in the middle of the ocean."

"Here?" She pointed to a second location.

"Monochromon migration trail. They do not take detours."

Mina tried a third spot. "What about here?" Her confidence was already wavering.

"That's a desert."

Rather than let Mina take the dejected walk back in silence, Catherine asked, "And there are no other castles here besides the two?"

Tai looked over the map as he answered. "Well, the thing about castles is they're really useful and don't stay empty for very long. They're all occupied by Digimon, and I don't want to kick them out if they're friendly."

"Do we have to kick them out?" Michael asked. "Can't we live with them?"

"It's unlikely any of them would be large enough for the numbers you'd be bringing. Attempting to share that space with a community of Digimon is asking a lot out of everybody," Thomas replied.

"What if we shared multiple castles?" asked Mina.

Thomas sighed. "That's… a last resort. Most of these castles are also a good deal away from supply lines. That's another factor as well. You'll need access to river shipments, so wherever you end up we'll have to run a rail to."

"Hey Thomas, what about that castle Dynasmon had when he tried to blow us up?" Tai stared at the map closely, finding a particular black square far to the northeast. "That's pretty close to the line."

"He also blew up most of the castle on his way out. The interior is nothing but rubble."

"Are the walls still standing?" the African representative asked.

"We've never surveyed it to see if it can be habitable. In fact, the only reason the patrol team checks up on it is to make sure nobody else moves in."

"So you're saying it might be," said Mina.

Thomas looked over the five, all staring back with a stern demand for hope. "It's doubtful, but-"

"But it's worth checking out!" Tai blurted.

After a moment's hesitation, Thomas nodded. "It is something. Our plan was for the patrol team to scout potential locations. This is a good place to start."

"When is this happening?" Michael asked. Tai closed his eyes and exhaled. They weren't cutting him or Thomas a break. Much as he respected Tai, Michael felt a sense of pride that he and the other four could work together to sustain this kind of pressure.

"Four days, I think." Tai was already wincing. "They got back right before you got here and Cody's joining the team to replace Mikey so we have to get him up to speed." When all five representatives opened their mouths to speak, Tai added, "Look, I know it sounds like we're dragging our feet, but we have to be really careful about this. This place looks pretty peaceful, but it took a lot of hard work to get it that way. And it's still pretty dicey in places. That's why we have a patrol team. Wherever you end up, we want it to be a place you can stay forever without upsetting any of the Digimon. We can't afford to mess this up."

The Ghanaian held his stare while the Brazilian nodded in understanding. Mina grumbled under her breath while Catherine leaned back, looked at Michael and blinked. He nodded back. No words spoken, yet he found himself breaking a tie.

"Okay. Four days," he said, still staring at the other four. None of them flinched. "But I'd like to go with, along with a couple others from the groups you've got staying with us. And we've told you which hunters we wanted to stick around."

Tai nodded hurriedly. "Yeah yeah. And we can bring you and Nishijima and Sampson or someone from his team. It's only fair you get to see the place first."

"And once the Isthmian team clears out that will free up a few beds here for the time being," Mina said, more as suggestion than statement.

"Uh yeah! We'll work something out!" Tai's breath grew more and more clipped, his voice pitching higher. "Uh, any other questions?"

"Just one." Michael raised an eyebrow and pointed. "Why's Meiko here?" The girl sat on the far end of the table away from the action. She had been there the entire time, head down and silent. Michael had assumed she was here for a reason, but she jolted her head up at the mention of her name.

"Right, right… uh, you know Meiko?"

"Mimi and I stayed in touch after she moved back." Michael blinked. "I know more about Meiko than I ever wanted to."

Tai gestured towards her. "Right, anyway, Meiko's going to be your new go-to for hospitality. Making sure you guys have everything you need and getting what you don't. She'll work with Jeri on all that."

"That's very helpful," said Mina, letting the praise hang as she considered how to follow it. "But that hasn't been the biggest problem. Most of us don't have anything to do. We're tired of talking to each other, you've provided so little work or recreation, and as you say the world can be dangerous and we don't know how far it's safe to explore. We're nervous whenever someone does. We're just waiting the days out with no direction. That wears us down as much as anything."

Thomas scratched his chin. "I'm at a loss for particular solutions, but we do have a position here that plans periodic entertainment to break up our routines."

"Hey yeah, Koichi!" Tai added. "You think someone like that to keep them entertained until everything gets settled?"

"Or projects that we can help with," said Mina. "Anything to keep us from sitting around."

"Um, I think I know someone who would be perfect for that job," said Meiko, standing up as all eyes fell on her. "She's pretty passionate and we were just talking the other day about how she wants to make people happy."

Tai grew a big smile. "Hey sounds great! We'll get her in and situated and you two can start working this stuff out!"

As the others all nodded in approval, Meiko sat down with her own satisfied grin. She had a helpful suggestion, everyone seemed happy, and now she had some powerful help in her work. Assuming she'd be on board…

* * *

Torajiro Asuka twirled a small supply box on his finger as he crossed the dock to the train platform. Next to him, Musimon juggled two boxes with his ears. The expert Apptuber kept his eyes focused on the camera as he said, "And once the boat comes in the hospitality team gets it on the trains and sends all this stuff to the different sites!"

"It's a lot of work, isn't it, Astra?" Musimon lobbed his buddy the question.

"Man it really is! But these guys make it look easy!" With a jump shot motion, Astra lobbed his box into the train. They both cringed at the sound of shattering glass.

Musimon set down his boxes. "Maybe we should leave all this to them."

"I hear that!" The duo dashed off camera as the video ended.

Henry blinked as he minimized the window. "It's good, but you don't have to break our supplies."

"Nothing got broken!" Astra insisted. "That box was filled with underwear. We added the sound later."

"It's a lot better than what we made," said Kari, seated next to Henry. "I was just going to read all that. Actually going down there during a shipment was a great idea."

"Cool to see too! Give me more time and I'll do an interview!"

"That's all right," said Henry, picking up the tablet. "I need to screen this at the camp. And any others you can get done this week."

Kari picked up the list, but Astra snatched it from her. "Video guides to everything we need to know about the world. It's so groovy!"

"Yeah, except the idea was to finish before everyone got here," Henry mumbled as he walked out of the library.

"How long do you think it'll take to finish all of those?" asked Kari.

"Pssh, I could do all these in a week." Astra tossed the sheet back. "Especially if you already know what you want me to say. I don't like working off scripts but I felt this one!"

Kari smiled as she read the couple dozen video concept ideas she and Henry had brainstormed. "I'm surprised. I couldn't get through them without stumbling all the time. TK's a bit wordier than me."

"He's a good writer. You should have seen how Dad wanted me to talk about the school." Astra pointed his index fingers to the ground.

"Your dad?" Kari slid over to the chair next to him. "I thought you just made your own videos and put them on the internet."

"At first! But I'm supposed to take over my family's tea ceremony school someday. So I started making a bunch of videos promoting it! Enrollment went through the roof! All the kids are into it now!"

Kari's eyebrows flared up. "You convinced a bunch of kids our age that traditional tea ceremony was cool?"

Astra frowned and pointed at her. "Hey, tea ceremony _is_ cool."

She giggled. "I'm sure it is."

"Of course it is! I just had to find the right hook to get kids to realize that! And that's how we gotta make these videos!"

"It would definitely be appreciated. I know it's not a great situation for you all and it'll take time to adjust, and for us to make sure everyone's situated. But there are so many wonderful things about this world and I hope we can help everyone discover them."

"Then point me at 'em!" Astra wrapped an arm around Kari and pulled her in. Ignoring her sudden blush, he pointed at the outside window overlooking the courtyard. "This is so groovy!"

"Um… I'm glad to hear it." Kari glanced at the arm around her shoulder. Her first instinct was to pull away. She decided against it. "I'll help however you need me to."

He retracted instead, flashing her two thumbs up and a toothy grin. "Is it groovy?" Then his index fingers pointed down again. "Is it not?"

Kari held her hands up. "No no, it is, it is!"

A pained smile crossed Astra's face. He patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay, we'll work on that."

* * *

JP Shibayama stared at the three cables, frozen with indecision with nowhere to turn. The extra demand for food didn't just take a toll on the kitchen staff. It also drained the kitchen equipment and the electrical grid powering it. The castle had enough power to sustain Command, the kitchen, medical, lighting, and a few other essentials. But high demand from any of them jeopardized them all. When the Ophani Tower elevator slowed to a near crawl before lunch, JP realized the need to supplement.

Hooking up one of the backup generators didn't sound like a challenge until he reached the final step and found himself with one switch, three cables, and the sudden realization he had lost track of where each of them went. One arrangement would allow the generator to supply any additional power needed to meet demand. One would send the generator to the primary engine and blow something up. One would attempt to run the entire castle's power supply through the generator, triggering a mass blackout.

Accepting that his uncertainty wouldn't be resolved any time soon, he looked for a way to hold the cables in place. Letting go ran the risk of them coiling back into the wall or ceiling, making them easier to identify but perhaps impossible to retrieve. Clutching them with one hand, he fished through his tools for something heavy enough to pin them to the floor. But these were electrical tools, so his only hope was a tiny socket wrench in the box by accident. He crossed his fingers, bit his lip, and hoped it would hold.

The echoing sound of boots descending the stairs almost made him drop everything. They did attempt to wriggle out of his grasp, shoving the wrench aside before he regained control. JP grumbled, then threw the whole tool box on top of them. That did the trick, allowing him to investigate the visitor before returning to his high-stakes puzzle.

"That you, Jeremy?" JP asked. It shouldn't have been: Jeremy was off loading a shipment aboard the Trailmon. When he didn't get a response, he eased down along the dark, narrow corridor. The musty castle underworld and the thought of trespassers made this encounter more harrowing than it probably was. Nobody in this world making such civilized footsteps was a real threat. But he girded himself for whatever approached.

The Digimon did not walk, instead floating in the air thanks to three helium balloons. Opossummon floated slowly, not helped by his partner, clutching both his sides and pushing him down the path. She kept her head down as her hands and thin, bare legs shook. Still, she looked more guarded than frightened, certain if there was anything dangerous down here it would attack her Digimon first and buy her time to escape. The dim lighting, an old trusted friend to JP, revealed her short, styled blond hair and three different shades of pink on her sweater, skirt, and boots.

JP didn't know who she was but he had only one response to a cute girl wandering down here: he puffed up his chest and threw on his most confident smile and voice: "You lost? It's okay, I'll get you turned around. I'm JP."

She slid Opossummon aside and narrowed her eyebrows. All the fear he imagined in her voice instead came out as annoyance: "What makes you think I'm lost?"

"Well, this isn't the sort of place for a pretty girl like you to be wandering around."

"Oh don't worry! I'm not coming down here any more than I have to!"

"This place is scary!" Opossummon echoed.

"So what are you doing down here to begin with?" JP asked.

She flashed a bright smile and extended a hand. "I'm Airu, your new assistant."

"My… new… a…" After the decision to run the investigation team out of Isthmian, Jeremy volunteered to work maintenance there in a transparent effort to remain with Zoe. JP expected a replacement this week. He did not expect to be lucky enough to get a lovely blonde working under him. Suddenly a million scenarios ran through his mind, most of them involving her being dazzled by his expertise in a trade and his effort to teach her bringing them closer and closer together until…

In all the daydreaming, he forgot to actually shake her hand. Airu pulled it back and nodded. "Okay. We met. I'm outta here."

As she turned around, JP snapped out of it and called out, "Wait, wait! Shouldn't I be training you or something?"

Her hands slammed onto her hips. "What, you don't think I know about all this stuff already?" Airu looked over her shoulder, eyes batting at him. "It's 'cause I'm a cute girl, isn't it?"

JP leaned back, hands raised in a panic. "No no no!"

In a rage, Opossummon flew into his face. "Airu is a cute girl! You take that back!"

"I mean you need…" JP took a deep breath. He absolutely was not saying he had doubts Airu was qualified to help him. He may have been _thinking_ it, but he'd never say it aloud. Once he was calm enough to shove Opossummon out of the way, he explained, "You need to know where the equipment is and how everything works. Some of our systems are-"

"Boring!" Airu announced. "Look, I only agreed to this because this place looked less sketchy than the trains or that new castle they're taking us to." She strolled up to him, walking her fingers up JP's chest, her lips curling into a pout. "You don't really expect me to slave away down here, do you? You already said this isn't the place for a pretty girl."

His body already shook. She was too close. No way would he survive working with her in close proximity. He'd say or do something stupid within days. "No, I guess you're right. I'm sure we can come to some sort of, uh… arrangement." JP's heavy breathing increased. Now he was afraid she'd take that the wrong way. Again, it may have been what he was thinking, but he wouldn't dare suggest it.

Instead Airu spun around and waved him away. "Perfect. Draw up the terms. Opossummon will give them a look."

"No funny business!" Opossummon added.

"Now I got to figure out where Ewan's hiding."

As Airu took a couple steps, JP charged forward and grabbed her wrist. "Well hold on, I do need your help with something now." She turned back to him, face alit with silent fury. He tried to ignore it, spinning around and leading her to the switch.

"Better let go of me if you don't want your hand in a bear trap!" cried Airu.

He quickly let go, grateful she still followed him to his switch puzzle. "Normally I wouldn't ask but it's pretty important and I don't think I can do it alone."

Airu looked it over. "Hooking a generator to the main power?" She scoffed. "Kids stuff."

First JP weathered his initial wave of bliss that she did in fact know this stuff. Then he looked away, both to avoid sharing his sudden infatuation and the embarrassment of his predicament. Scratched his cheek, he said, "Well, not when you lose track of what cables go where. If I plug the wrong ones in now it could blow the generator or send the whole castle dark. So could you hold those while I retrace them?"

She grumbled but obeyed, taking hold of the three cables. JP sighted one and followed it away. "Might need to watch which ones jerk around."

"Done!" she called back.

He scrambled back to the switch to find all three cables plugged in. His chest pounded until he realized he did not hear anything exploding and noticed the lights still on. Airu remained on her knees in front of the switch, staring back at him with a smirk.

"You… you could tell where everything was supposed to go?! Those cords all looked alike!" Now JP's chest pounded for an entirely different reason.

"Nope, just guessed." Airu popped back to her feet and walked past him.

"But… but… something could have blown up!"

She kept walking. "I know. Too bad it didn't. I was pulling for that." Airu stopped momentarily to think, turning to Opossummon. "Although I guess a blackout would have been fun too."

* * *

Meiko Mochizuki paced across the hall, waiting for her new partner to arrive so they could get to work. Either the train took longer than expected or her anticipation played with time and drew out the wait. She stopped, smoothed her dress, and watched the door, bouncing on her heels until the nerves set in again and her legs insisted on wandering. No matter how many times she told herself to calm down, the reaction was only natural. This was Eri Karan after all.

From the moment they arrived, Eri never shut down. Her silent ferocity and refusal to cut their hosts a break assured everyone on the trains that the situation would be dealt with. Meiko could sense the passion stemmed not from a pent-up rage, but a genuine concern for everyone on board. Eri would be a tremendous asset for Meiko to have in her corner… if she could keep her there. The longer she waited, the more doubts she had that the two belonged in the same space. And what right did someone like her have ordering someone like Eri to do anything?

She suppressed a sneeze as the door flew open. Eri marched past the tables alongside Dokamon hauling a small suitcase over his head. Her eyes fixed onto Meiko's the moment she entered the room, never breaking until the two were inches apart. Eri gave a long glare, then asked, "So where do we drop off our stuff?"

Just like that, all of the rehearsed introductions and explanations fled Meiko's head. "Oh… um… uh… I don't know," she stammered.

"Eri gets a room here, right?" Dokamon asked.

"Um… yes? Uh, I think you have to talk to Henry. He's probably up in Command." Meiko pointed out the elevator. Only Dokamon headed for it. "Oh, I don't think they like random Digimon going up there."

"I'm an Appmon!" Dokamon called back.

"He's fine," Eri insisted, her voice all business. "So what's this you volunteered me for?"

This was the part Meiko had rehearsed, but she still labored over every word. "Well, I recommended that you run entertainment and recreation for the new settlement." She mustered a smile. "I figured you'd be good at it!"

Eri's eyes narrowed, her lower jaw sliding across her straight face. She scanned the room, noting the other residents seated around the tables eating or talking. "Can we sit down?" she asked.

"Of course." Meiko gestured to the nearest empty table and waited for Eri to sit before joining her.

Crossing her legs, Eri said, "Entertainment and recreation?"

"Yes. Keep everybody happy and active as they look for a new place to live." Meiko's smile grew warmer. "You were the first person I thought of!"

Eri face didn't move save for a single blink. "In other words you want me to keep everyone pacified while they keep stalling." She exhaled through her nose. "Why would you think I'd want to help them?"

Meiko's smile remained, but wavered as she nervously chuckled. "You said yourself you wanted to make everybody smile!"

"I want everybody taken care of! I'm not going to distract them while…" Eri huffed. "So how come you get to sign me up for this all of a sudden?"

"Right." Meiko's face perked up. This she had an answer for. "I'm taking care of hospitality now! Making sure everybody's getting meals and that the trains are getting cleaned properly."

"And I suppose you being friends with Tai had nothing to do with you getting this job?"

She froze for a moment, not used to being called out so directly. Still, she wasn't going to lie: "Oh, it had everything to do with it." Although she was ashamed, she wasn't afraid to express it. Honestly, it kind of bothered her too. She didn't react to Eri's smug nod.

Instead, she lowered her head and rolled with it. "I know how it looks. Tai and Kari playing favorites, and trying to keep everybody calm. I don't know if I'm really cut out for this, but I'm going to do my best. Having the right friends doesn't mean I can slack off. I can't. This job's too important. Everyone out there is depending on me." Meiko looked up. Eri's glare was gone, now shifted away to some other corner of the room. "But that's why I need you." Eri's eyes returned to her. They were softer, but still far from friendly. "I met with them this morning. I promise they're working on it. But it won't happen overnight and everyone still needs cheering up."

With a sigh, Meiko concluded, "I don't know if I'm the best person for my job, but I do know you're the best person for yours. That's why I suggested you. And I can't imagine what they'd think of me if you said no."

"Meiko…" Eri said, slowly and too racked with indecision to continue.

"And… if nothing else… it gets you in the castle with an actual position." Meiko chuckled. "I'm sure you can get into their ears more here than you could just yelling at poor Suzie all the time."

Eri looked away, wearing a stubborn frown as she mulled it over. Meiko could only wait and worry. With a fleeting glance back, Eri finally mumbled, "Fine. I still don't like this, but if it means I can do more to help…" Her eyes sharpened. "But you owe me one."

Meiko bowed. "I understand. Thank you so much."

"So what happens now?"

"Well, now we meet with our counterparts here to plan out the best way to make this work."

On the way to the office, Dokamon returned. He still had Eri's suitcase, but now had a folder atop it. "We have a room! Turn right, head to the tower, sixth floor, room on the right! I got a key and an info packet!"

"Thank you," Eri obliged. She pointed down the hallway. "Down that way?"

"Yes, that's Ophani Tower." Meiko paused, suppressing her curiosity over naming a tower after Ophanimon. "That's where the kitchen is."

As Dokamon headed in that direction, Eri called out, "If the kitchen's over there, bring me back a coffee after you drop that off."

"Yes, Eri! Two creams?"

"And a sugar if it's the cheap stuff."

"Okay!" He merrily continued on his way.

Meiko watched him in silence. She struggled to comprehend the way Dokamon enthusiastically followed orders. He even knew her preferences. And Eri trusted him so casually.

"He's… obedient," Meiko said, a sting piercing her chest. Their partnership was too simple, too perfect. When by comparison…

Eri nodded, still watching him. "He's the best."

Meiko swore to herself as hands started to fidget. How many times did she have to be reminded what a healthy relationship looked like? And how every time she saw one she remembered how much of a disaster hers was, and how long she convinced herself it was normal? And no matter how bad a mess it turned into, she still caught herself craving it again? She gasped for air, denying herself breaths knowing every one risked bringing along a storm of tears. She couldn't let that happen here. Not in front of Eri.

"Hey!" Too late: Eri clutched Meiko's shoulders, shouting in her face, "Hey! Hey!"

Meiko aggressively shook her head, squeaking, "I'm sorry!"

Eri scoffed. "Why are you apologizing?" With another gasp, Meiko looked up. Eri's face was as harsh as ever, and only inches away. "I'm not blind. You're here alone, aren't you?" Meiko gulped as Eri kept going. "Your buddy or partner's gone, isn't he? You lost him, right?"

She returned less of a nod than a drooping head. All she could say was, "I…"

"You don't have to talk about it," Eri insisted, peering into Meiko's eyes. "I'm sure it was bad. You feel however you want to feel about it, got that?" Slower, but with the same bite, she added, "Trust me. I understand."

Meiko's panting continued, but the pain subsided. The ache remained; she'd carry that forever. But Eri's words numbed its sting. The reassurance of not having to hide it helped. She felt free to unload at any time, even if she lost the urge to now. Rubbing a finger across the corner of each eye just in case, she nodded and said, "Sorry."

Eri's eyes narrowed and her hand balled into a fist. Suppressing a grumble, she muttered, "Can we do this?"

When they opened the door to the office, they caught Jeri and Koichi snuggling on the same chair, hands held and noses touching. With a heavy blush, Meiko shouted "Sorry!" and tried to close the door. Eri caught it and flung it back open, glaring at Meiko.

The two composed themselves, Koichi hopping over to an adjacent chair as Eri and Meiko closed the door behind them and found their own seats across from them. Hiding her own blush, Jeri said, "So, you must be helping Meiko with events and morale then?"

"Center of the Universe Eri Karan. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise! My name's Jeri. This is my boyfriend Koichi."

Meiko's hands shot up to her face. "Oh… that's embarrassing. I, uh, assumed you were with that Takato boy you introduced me to yesterday."

Jeri inhaled, lowering her head before picking it right back up. "Uh, no, I'm with him too."

Eyes widened and darting between Jeri and Koichi, Meiko stammered, "But… but… how…"

Eri's eyebrows raised, but she glanced at Meiko, looked down at her nails and said, "It's called polyamory, Meiko, it's a thing." She grinned at Jeri. "Can you tell she's from the country?"

Koichi blinked. "It has a name?"

"Well anyway…" Smile faded, Eri asked, "How's this work?"

Jeri clasped her hands. "Right. Well, you both will have access to any materials you need. Check with me to see if we have it first, and if we don't you can order it down the river."

"Uh, anything really big you should run past Henry first," Koichi added.

"Right. It takes a couple days to arrive, so make sure to plan ahead. Um… here…" Jeri grabbed a notepad and a pen to write down information on two sheets. She handed one each to Meiko and Eri. "I'll make accounts for you two when I can but for now you can use my login. Just don't mess around with any settings."

"What sort of stuff can we order?" Eri asked.

"Oh basically anything. We've done all sorts of different events here."

"Um, are you going to show us how to use this program? I'm not an expert on computers." Meiko glanced at Eri and fidgeted. "Country girl, as she said."

"Of course! I don't have an order open right now but why I don't I show you how it would work?"

Eri sat up just as the door flew open, stepping out of the way in time to avoid the stream of water shooting past her and onto the floor. Ai and Mako ran in behind it, taking cover behind Jeri. Impmon followed, waving a squirt gun across the room before aiming it at his tamers.

"Okay, who's gonna die first?!" he shouted, before spotting Jeri at the end of the barrel. Her eye twitched. Impmon hid the pistol behind his back and looked down. "Oh boy…"

Koichi popped to his feet and urgently said, "Um, maybe you three shouldn't be in here. Aren't you helping Suzie?"

"We did!" replied Mako.

"We're off until dinner," added Ai.

"Koichi?" Jeri stood and faced him, taking slow, staggered breaths but otherwise maintaining composure. "Why don't you take these three out after lunch for the next couple days? I have a lot to show Meiko and Eri so we don't want too many… interruptions."

Nervously looking down at the siblings and over at Impmon, Koichi said, "But don't I have to train Eri?"

"Let's get her squared away on my end first." Jeri added a steady nod.

"Uh… okay… uh… we should go then…" Koichi led Ai and Mako to the door. Impmon backed out on his own.

Jeri sat down again, carefully draping her hands atop her lap and staring through Eri toward the door. "Sorry about that. Everything's fine. It's… all good! Now where were we?"

Neither of them responded. Meiko found a nice distant corner of the room to stare at.

Eventually Eri turned to the door and muttered, "Where the hell is my coffee?"

* * *

Sora Takenouchi cursed the alarm trying to force her and Takuya out of bed. Under her blankets with him inches away, not even touching her, generated a comforting warmth she had rarely ever experienced. She could soak in it forever. This was why people risked radiation and burning skin for the sake of bathing in the sun. She lashed a pillow at her clock, silencing it and allowing her tranquility to continue.

As much as she could bask in the feeling, nothing about Takuya sleeping should have added beauty to her shell. His bedhead was even more of a mess than his usual hair, he hadn't showered, and she caught him snoring a couple times through the night. It didn't matter to her. Opening up her space to another person, one she didn't know since childhood, scared and intrigued her. This was really happening, bringing all the sensations that came with it. Yes, there was the physical bliss and the remarkable warmth, but even the sounds and smells awed her. She wasn't ready for it to end.

"You're staring at me, aren't you?" Takuya mumbled, eyes still closed.

He startled Sora, who fell back against her pillow and looked up. "You're awake?!"

"How can I not be with that alarm?" Eyes blinking open, he arched his back. "Morning." He pulled back the covers, releasing all the insulated heat Sora had been enjoying so much.

Sora pulled her legs out and hung them over the bed. She didn't want to go further. "Wish we didn't have to get up," said Takuya, voicing the thought she'd never air.

"Only a couple more days," she answered, not that it made any sense. Early mornings and daily responsibilities would follow them both well after the Isthmian planning wrapped up. All that would change was them.

She turned back to him, unable to see his face as he slid his legs out of what remained of the covers and pushed himself to his feet in one motion. Takuya stopped there, looking over his shoulder to confirm her staring again. Then in one swift motion he climbed back onto the bed, lunged across the bed, not stopping until their mouths collided. Sora didn't budge. If anything she leaned into it, taking in all the warmth he offered, prolonging it as long as she could.

He disappointed her too soon, pulling away just before he lost balance, rolling out of bed again. Motionless, he scanned the room for the clean shirt he had brought in the night before. He fixed his eyes on it but didn't bend down.

"Hey… do you sometimes feel like…" Takuya paused to breathe. "…we could work? Like past this week? Or even more?"

Sora folded her hands in her lap. "If I didn't think there was a chance, I wouldn't have gotten involved."

Takuya faced her briefly. She wasn't surprised at his troubled expression. He tried to shake it off, retrieving and sliding on his shirt. She added, "But who are we kidding? It's us. Maybe we're lucky we have a reason to cut it off before we end up hating each other."

"Nah, I want to see how long we can pull this off." Takuya said, reaching under her bed to find his shorts. "I really like this!" Retrieving them, he popped back up. "I really like you!"

Hearing that gave her a moment of exhilaration before reality set in again. She let out a sad chuckle. "Just our luck, right?"

Takuya murmured unhappily as he jammed his one leg after the other into his shorts. "Look, we can do whatever we want. I was thinking last night. If I'm this stressed just trying to get everything together for the move, how bad's it gonna be when I'm actually in charge? I've got a lot to worry about." He paced the length of the bed. "But how cool would it be to finish setting up, throw Mikey in charge, and hang back here? Get back on response team and chill out and hang with you all the time?"

As nice as that sounded, Sora hated that he said it. The reason she could fathom giving Takuya a shot in the first place was his willingness to take that journey to be a responsible leader. Sacrificing all that may have kept them together, but it wasn't worth it if it brought back the indifferent or reckless Takuya. That would guarantee their fracturing. Shaking her head, she firmly replied, "You can't do that."

He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I know, I know… I gotta step up, don't I?" He trudged around to her end of the bed, past her to retrieve his goggles on the nightstand. Facing her as he slipped them over his forehead, he said, "I just… don't want this to end, you know?"

Sora stared back with genuine sympathy, but after a long pause, he shook his head and marched out of the room. Her head sank, angry at him as much as their situation. Takuya had no right to be this in harmony with her. It only made her want him more.

* * *

Rei Katsura did everything he could to manipulate the static on his twin pop-up screens, but the image never changed. He manipulated a couple toggles and entered some commands, but even he understood it was mostly for show.

"Yep, that's all I get too," said Gatchmon, glancing at Haru as he shook his head. "It's really annoying if you can't unscramble it either."

"There might not be anything to unscramble," said Hackmon, cables driven into the ground well outside the camp.

"There's so much junk data," Rei explained. "I've been trying to get rid of it since we got here, but there's nothing else there."

Haru stared at the screens with a long face. "So no internet then?"

"There is a network. Only noise goes through it," said Hackmon.

"We're used to information on a superhighway," Rei muttered. "This is a trail in the desert during a sandstorm."

Faking a smile, Haru forced out a chuckle. "Well that complicates things!"

Rei stared at a screen, blinked, then eyed Haru. "You still want to continue your Yuujin project, don't you?"

"I got too far to quit now," Haru replied, throwing extra force into his words.

"With no laboratory and no way to access Yuujin's AI profile?

"I was… hoping you could help with that."

Narrowing his eyes and blinking, Rei returned to his screen. "There's also the time travel."

"Time travel?" Haru's eyes widened.

"Somehow we went back about five years. Everyone but the hunters jumped in some way."

"That explains the information superhighway reference," said Hackmon in his usual deadpan.

Rei ignored him. "Even if we found a way to get his profile, it could be the wrong one."

Haru remained steadfast. "Rei, I know there's a lot in the way. That's why I need your help." When Rei didn't move, Haru broke his stare, glancing down. "I don't want to believe it's hopeless."

That wasn't why Rei didn't react. He was deep in thought. The internet problem was the first of many obstacles, but the steepest climbs came early. With a puzzle like this, they'd know early on if it was truly impossible. But they weren't there yet, and imagining the reward at the end…

"We need to explore further. And if there is a way to do it, you'll need me to make sure it gets done right."

Haru's face lit up. "Rei!"

Hackmon didn't buy it. "Rei, what you mean is if we successfully replicate Oozora, we can do the same with Hajime." Rei only looked away and cleared his throat.

"Of course we can!" Rei kept himself from staring straight at Haru's face. It was dangerously bright. "So… first step is figuring out if we can ping our internet back home and what time period that would be."

"Right." Rei stared at his screens again. That might end up being the hardest part. In fact, he had no idea how to start searching, dragging the conversation to a halt. Perhaps this was fortunate for them as they didn't notice anyone approach them.

"Prodigious…" While Rei froze up like a deer at the voice, Haru jumped, spinning around and nearly falling through Rei's screen.

They found a boy, flanked by a bug Digimon and two slightly older and taller girls, all fascinated by the display. The boy approached it, the grin on his face slowly expanding. "A hacking interface routed through your Appmon… they weren't kidding about you two."

Rei turned around and glared back. "And you are?"

"Oh, my name's Izzy. And this is Nene and Zoe. We heard about your abilities and think they'd perfectly compliment our investigation team."

"Investigation?" Haru cocked his head. "I heard about responders and patrollers, but they didn't mention you guys."

"We sort of do our own thing," said Nene. "The nice thing about going out to learn about the world instead of protect it is nobody's depending on us for results. We get a much longer leash."

"What are you investigating?" asked Gatchmon.

"Well, you're looking at it," said Izzy, pointing to Rei's screen. "Curious how the network here doesn't do much actual networking. It doesn't attempt to distribute the data on the servers we've found."

Haru glanced back at Rei before approaching Izzy. "What kind of data?"

"Stuff from our worlds back home," said Zoe. She smiled when his eyes widened. "We've only found a couple, but maybe with your help we can find more."

Izzy nodded. "Having hacking and search engine tools on our side will be incredible assets."

With a sly smile, Nene stroked a finger under Haru's chin. "And we do sometimes run into trouble, so it would help to have a strong leader on board."

Rei narrowed his eyes as Haru blushed and leaned away from the attention. "You're selling this too hard. What's the catch?"

"You heard what Nene said about sometimes running into trouble," said Tentomon. "And we do go out in the field a lot, so I hope you like camping!"

Gatchmon smirked. "Eh, Rei could use some sun."

Zoe chuckled. "Oh, we're also running out of Isthmian from now on. The rest of your group is staying here, aren't they?"

"That's not a problem," Rei replied instantly.

Haru glanced back, pondering a rebuttal, but instead nodded and flashed the seven-code band around his wrist. "We can always be in touch with each other. This sounds too good to pass up."

"And here we thought we'd have to do more to convince you," said Tentomon. "We even brought two cute girls!"

"You don't know us very well," Rei muttered.

Even so, Haru approached Izzy with a warm smile and an extended hand. "This sounds great. We're happy to help you learn everything we can about the network situation here!"

"Prodigious!" Izzy replied, shaking the hand with his own grin. "Once we get to Isthmian we'll get you squared away before we set out. It's a pleasure working with you."

Haru shook Nene and Zoe's hands and waved as they departed either on their Digimon or becoming one. Hackmon disconnected as Rei muttered, "Prodigious? Does everyone we team up with have a stupid catchphrase?"

"This is great!" Haru exclaimed. "With their help, maybe we'll figure this out yet!"

Rei glared at the departing Digimon, more puzzled than suspicious. If he could have heard them, he would have caught Izzy saying the same thing as him, in unison: "That was too easy."

* * *

Kari Kamiya felt awkward standing in the bathhouse fully clothed. It was empty and a sign outside ensured it would stay that way, but being overdressed made the humid air uncomfortable rather than relaxing. She had already slipped her shoes and socks off before aiming the video camera at the bath itself, focusing on finding the perfect backdrop despite knowing her vision wouldn't matter in the end.

The sliding door startled her, even though she knew it would happen. She turned around, only to jump again when she found Joe hauling in a long rod with a microphone attached to one end.

"I just wanted a bath," he mumbled in self-pity before noticing Kari. "You got roped into this too?"

Kari responded with an awkward chuckle. "I guess I'm sort of the co-pilot, so…"

Astra followed Joe in. "Hey, I can't wear a mic and you won't let Musimon in here!" Kari smiled back; even his barking dripped with enthusiasm.

The smile fell once she realized he only had a towel on. The blush came instantly as she spun around. "T-Tora!" She pretended to adjust the camera settings.

He threw his hands on his hips, standing in place with a wide stance. "What?! I'm not doing a bath video without jumping in!" To make matters worse, he approached the camera to check things for himself. She stepped away, trying not to look at him, but couldn't resist. Even if her on-camera presence wasn't as strong, she hoped her framing and lighting work met his standards. She needed to gauge his reaction as he scrutinized her work, even if that meant her eyes catching more skin.

"Ooh, nice!" Astra spun around and gave her a thumb's up. Her face flushed further, half from seeing his bare chest and half from the compliment. "You must do photography or something! This is perfect!" Astra turned away, giving her a reprieve. "Hey Joe, let's get this sound going!"

Kari returned to the camera, committed to regaining composure as Astra messed with Joe's boom mic. Thinking about it, she had no reason to be so breathless. She'd been interested in photography for years, so of course she should know what she was doing. Even on video, the principles of framing a shot wasn't all that different. Astra confirming her competency shouldn't have thrilled her so much.

Also, the more she stared at him, the more she found nothing inappropriate about his attire. The towel was long enough to cover his thighs halfway. She even spotted the band of a swimsuit before he adjusted the towel to cover it up. He was in costume, not exposing himself. Kari had certainly seen worse.

After some final sound checks, Astra blocked out his movements, trusting Kari's judgment on his positioning. He returned to the cleaning station, jumped on a stool and shouted for Kari to start recording. Once the camera was rolling, she pointed at him. Astra threw up his trademark hand gesture and launched into his effortless delivery: "Hey, you've probably heard someone talking up the bath by now, but have you given it a try yet? If you haven't, you're in for a treat because this place is the best! We'll jump in in a bit but we do things the Japanese way here so you know what comes first!" He leaped off the stool. In one swift motion he sat on it while grabbing the water tub in front of him and dumping it on his head. "Whoo!" he cried.

Joe winced at the splash landing on his shoes and turned to Kari, an uncertain expression on his face. She stifled a giggle and kept filming Astra brushing his back.

"So I talked to the head engineer JP about why the bath water's so nice and all the work it takes keeping it that way." Kari almost switched the camera off there. Astra had explained how this would be a cutaway to an interview they would film later. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to pause the recording until he gave her another signal. She left it alone.

He just kept on scrubbing himself, well past the point of useful footage. Kari never touched the camera or dared to speak for fear of the microphone picking her up. At no point did she take her eyes off Astra washing down every inch of his body. She almost jumped when Joe ended up piping in: "Are we still shooting?"

Strategically keeping his mouth away from the camera, Astra replied, "Sure, sure. Maybe I'll show all this at high speed. That could be cool. I'll look at it later."

"You're sure taking your time."

Astra laughed. "I was living on a train for three days! I'm not jumping in there unless I'm super-squeaky clean! Don't want to ruin it!"

So they kept on watching him, washing between his toes and above his ears and all the parts nobody simply making a video should care about. As he wrapped up, Astra turned away from the camera and said, "Okay! Get ready to pan!"

Kari leaned in to the camera, gripping the handle on the tripod. Astra gave himself one last rinse, turned to the camera and said, "Okay, all clean! Now let's jump in!"

Sure enough, Astra bounded off his seat into a full spring and catapulted himself into the bath. Kari tracked it the whole way, grinning in disbelief. Joe's reward for keeping up with the microphone was another wave of bathwater, this time on his pants.

Astra surfaced and threw up his trademark hand gesture. "That feels amazing! I could chill here for hours!"

Then he turned to Kari, gasped, and covered his chest and towel with his hands, shouting, "Kari?! What are you doing in here? This is a boys' hour!"

Kari's jump came perilously close to knocking the camera over. "What?!" she somehow exclaimed amid her sudden breathless gasping.

She continued to hyperventilate even after Astra shouted, "And cut! I liked it! I hope the mic got Kari at the end there! That was awesome!" He hopped out of the bath and fetched another towel. "Wish we had a camera on her!"

Even Joe snickered as he retracted the boom mic. "He did get you there, Kari."

It still took a while for her to calm herself down, but she forced out a laugh anyway. Astra really did get her, a position she rarely found herself in. Usually she was the one needling Tai or TK to keep them on their toes. She felt her heart to confirm how fast it was beating.

Astra grinned at her as he snatched the camera away. "Seriously though, great job! This'll be the the best one yet!" As he neared the changing room, he turned back to her and pointed, "I'll holler when I'm done. No peeking for real! I know that's your thing now!"

Her heart rate shot right back up again and her face turned completely red. It had to have been a joke, but still…

He laughed as he opened the door. "Kari, like you'd be caught in a boys' bath." Astra stepped through and slid the door shut behind him.

She still clutched her chest, forcing deep breaths as she wondered how he got to her so easily. It was such a simple gag; she could imagine TK or Davis doing it to her, and the eye roll it would evoke.

Joe chuckled as he walked past her with his gear. "Well, guess all those times you said you weren't into TK you weren't lying."

"Wh-what?" Kari asked. Mockable as her behavior may have been, this was a different matter. "What do you mean?"

He looked back and grinned. "Now I know what it looks like."

* * *

Mimi Tachikawa didn't think anything of the kitchen door swinging open. As she and Ewan sifted through the pantry in the far back of the room, she assumed whoever entered the room would make their presence known somehow. She wouldn't have guessed how. Ewan sniffed the air and froze, dropping his box of instant potatoes. Then he shooed Mimi out of the room.

"I'm not here," he said, slamming the door behind her. The door locked; she didn't know that door had a lock.

She turned around in time to intercept the girl she immediately assumed was Airu. Mimi sniffed for some trace of perfume but found nothing distinct about her fragrance. Even Opossummon's fur was well groomed and musk-free.

"Where's Ewan hiding?" Airu asked.

"Oh, you just missed him. He had to run to the camp," Mimi answered, smiling both to look polite and revel in her slyness.

"He's being slippery…" Airu raised an eyebrow at her partner. "Guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way."

Mimi leaned in, grin widening. "Ooh, what's the old-fashioned way?"

"That's between me and Airu!" Opossummon shouted.

Airu nodded. "Have to keep the element of surprise." She looked around the kitchen, stroking her chin. "Hey, are there any storage panels below the floor?"

Mimi noted a few off-color tiles on the floor. "There are but I barely use them. Pulling those tiles out murders your nails."

"That so?" Airu glanced at her fingers. "Very good to know." She continued to survey the room. "Let's see… fifteen-foot ceiling, a couple electrical outlets… you have fire extinguishers, right?"

"Of course."

"Perfect."

Hands clasped together, Mimi exclaimed, "Oh, you are as advertised!"

Suddenly, her face lit up. "Ewan talked about me?"

"Oh for sure! You sound like quite a girl!"

"Best girl ever!" Opossummon exclaimed. Mimi scratched his head.

"Then why does he keep avoiding me?" Airu huffed. "So yeah, make sure not to step on any of those tiles for the next few days."

She turned around and started to walk out. Mimi called out, "I hope you'll clear anything after he moves out."

Airu gave her a dismissive wave. "I'll have JP do it. Thanks for the info."

Mimi waited a few seconds after the door closed behind her to give Ewan the all-clear. He was not happy. "Mimi, why are you encouraging her?"

She folded her arms. "Well why aren't you talking to her? Good communication is the key to any healthy relationship."

Ewan waved his hands across the room. "She just said she's laying a bunch of traps across the kitchen! Why should I want to talk with that?!"

"Because if I accidentally get caught in one of those, I'll give you a lot worse than she would."

His gesturing now targeted the door. "Why's that my fault?! She's the crazy one!"

Mimi threw her hands to her hips, her scolding face on. "Ewan! We talked about this! We're all a little crazy here. We need to accept it."

The door opened again, freezing Ewan in panic. He sighed in relief when he saw Sora approach. "So do you think Sora's crazier than Airu based on what you just heard?" he muttered to Mimi.

"You don't know the half of it," Mimi replied before smiling and greeting her longtime friend.

"Careful where you step," Ewan said to Sora. Mimi turned to him, eyebrows narrowed. He returned the same look back. "Just practicing."

Sora ignored him, staring at Mimi while squirming in place. She hesitated before scratching her arm and saying, "Mimi… I need you to talk me out of doing something crazy."

Mimi smirked at Ewan, who threw his hands up and walked away. "I give up," he announced.

She smiled back at Sora, folding her hands. "Whatever you're about to say, do it. I promise it's not the craziest thing I've heard today."

* * *

Koichi Kimura couldn't help but let his mind wander as he watched Ai, Mako, and Impmon enter the woods outside the castle. For the most part, his babysitting job was easy. The kids were restless enough after a day of hospitality work to be dying to play, and they and their Digimon partner raced to make up for years of missed bonding time. No matter how much lip Impmon gave everybody or how many times Ai and Mako squabbled over the rules of the games they invented on the spot, the three took care of each other. Koichi was simply the older presence to recognize and prevent any situation that could become dire.

So why did he hate this so much he asked for backup?

Takato sat on a hill next to him as Guilmon chased the three into the woods. "Kinda wish we could spend every day playing like them."

Biting his lip, Koichi sat as well. "Thanks for coming out here, Takato."

"No problem. Who'd have thought after everything we'd end up raising two kids together?" he joked.

Perhaps the introduction of Guilmon solidified Koichi's discomfort. Impmon rode atop his head, chasing after his tamers, pointing out their locations and the best ways to get to them. All Koichi could think about was how close the two had once come to killing each other.

Through all his years of knowing, supporting, and comforting Jeri, the history had come up many times. Leomon's murder, Takato's reaction to it, and the ensuing brush with D-Reaper were all permanent fixtures in her mind. Impmon's eventual redemption came up, but that was a postscript to the real trauma. Koichi never dwelled on it that much. So he never perceived Impmon as anything more than the catalyst of his love's troubles.

He couldn't forgive him, even if some disconnected part of his brain knew Jeri already had. Despite the occasional uneasiness, Jeri and the other tamers had no trouble entertaining Impmon as a part of their lives. Even as she still longed for her partner in private, she greeted his killer with a smile. She said nothing to Impmon about how much it still hurt or how she still replayed the scene in her head. She saved all that for Koichi.

"Oh, we can't joke about that?" Takato asked. Koichi didn't realize his mind wandered for so long.

"No, it's, um…"

"Impmon?"

Koichi sighed. "Impmon." Guilmon braked suddenly, launching Impmon into the air and crashing to the ground, prompting a long string of obscenities at Takato's partner. Takato just laughed. "You all really forgave him?" Koichi asked.

Takato shuffled a little, scratching his head before trying to explain. "He realized what he did. And he really tried to help us later. What, don't you believe it?"

"No, no, I just… focus so much on what he did I never thought about what came next."

"Oh. Well, yeah. I guess it's different when you never saw him out there." Takato smiled, adding a nostalgic nod. "He really wanted to make things right."

"Yeah." Koichi kept watching. Ai stepped in and scolded Impmon for his tirade, then targeted Mako when he laughed at it. Koichi felt a strange stir in his stomach watching it.

"And we kinda stayed in touch with Ai and Mako after everything ended. I think Suzie was still talking to them when we got pulled in here."

"Would you say those two act like normal siblings?"

Takato raised an eyebrow. "You're asking the wrong guy. I'm an only child. You have a brother. What do you think?"

"I have a brother I didn't know about for the first twelve years of my life. I don't know what normal looks like."

"Well, I guess those two are as normal as it can get around here. Why do you ask?"

"I've never seen it before." Koichi had a brother long enough to feel it out and learn the behaviors that made his relationship with Koji function. But he had to work at it, with plenty of awkward silences and missed signals along the way. He still wasn't completely confident he was doing it right and he doubted Koji was either. And other sibling relationships he had seen were defined by a difference in ages and often had their own share of dysfunction.

Ai and Mako were closer to equals, but they were far from graceful about it. The few times Koichi had gone out with them, he had seen plenty of either trying to boss the other, and the ensuing arguments. They were sincere but rarely harmful, and inevitably forgotten minutes later when they would do something else with more unity. It was a close, imperfect relationship, but strikingly natural. They didn't have to learn how to be brother and sister. They just were, and they acted however they pleased, adjusting only when one toed the line that risked truly hurting the other.

Koichi and his brother could have had that since birth.

No way could he articulate any of that to Takato, so he condensed it: "Just makes me wonder what Koji and I would have been like if we'd always known each other." Mako got his foot stuck in the root of a tree. Impmon pulled him free before Koichi even thought to move. Ai laughed at the fear in her brother's face. "Would we be like this?"

Takato let out a chuckle. "Who knows?" A thought struck him; his eye narrowed. "But hey, did you forgive your parents?"

"My parents?

"Yeah, you were talking about us forgiving Impmon. Did you forgive your parents for not telling you and Koji about each other?"

"Well, I…" Koichi stopped. In all the excitement over discovering he had a brother, he didn't consider how angry he should have been about that.

"Because when you think about it…" Takato added. And Koichi certainly was. He tried to justify their decision even before he asked them about it. The answers in his head satisfied him more than the real ones he received.

He leaned back and shook his head. "It's so weird how that works."

Takato joined him. "How does it work anyway? We can all forgive Impmon but you can't. You and Koji forgive your parents when… boy, I can't imagine what I'd do. But it's not who we're close to. We got over Henry's dad sending our Digimon back home way sooner than Henry did." He threw his arms behind his head on the grass. "Be nice if we could just always forgive each other."

"Not really," said Koichi. "That means we can keep hurting each other."

* * *

Tai Kamiya wasn't missing it this time. It seemed like everybody in the castle, whether they were departing or not, crowded the train platform, complicating JP and Jeremy's job of loading box after box of personal belongings. He caught Kari getting one last chat in with Zoe, Marcus ribbing Mikey, and Tommy trying to offer (or receive) some words of encouragement with Takuya as he tried to direct traffic. This time there were no tense stares, no bitterness, and only a few scattered tears. Tai couldn't settle on everybody he needed to talk to.

A cough next to him caught him off guard. Izzy kept his face steeled, delivering his report with no emotion: "We will still make sure to share our findings with Henry from the new location."

Tai nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." He tried to come up with something more personal to add. It was Izzy, after all. He didn't want to believe he was still upset over everything, but try as he could he couldn't generate any warmth. "Good luck," was all he could say.

Izzy bowed. "Thank you again for approving our new team members." He looked over his shoulder, as did Tai, to catch Rei barely responding to whatever Astra was saying while Haru hugged Eri goodbye. Tagiru saw Tai and tugged on Haru's shoulder, practically dragging him over.

The skeptical look on Gatchmon's face made Tai fret. He had hoped the awkward conversation with Haru the first day was behind them. Still, he had no trouble forming a sincere smile for the two newest leaders. "Hey guys, best of luck over there." He nodded towards Izzy. "You and Izzy are going to get along great."

Haru returned the smile. "Oh, thanks! And thanks for the opportunity! I hope we make a lot of great discoveries!"

"I'm sure we will. Hackmon and Gatchmon will be very useful," Izzy said, prompting rapid nods from Haru.

Tagiru just wore a wide grin the whole time. Tai just nodded at him.

"Hey, let's get a good seat! I want to be by the window!" Gatchmon shouted, already heading for the door. Haru and Tagiru followed his lead. Along the way they glanced back at Tai, then looked at each other and laughed. Tai exhaled as his own smile widened. Haru moving past all that only made Tai like him more.

"So yeah, take care of-" Tai said to the air where Izzy had stood. He didn't notice him leave. Indeed, moving past such a heavy blow was hard.

He was more aware of Matt walking up to him, stopping without making much eye contact, focusing more on adjusting the yellow bag around his shoulder. Gabumon wheeled a suitcase behind him. Tai waited for him to say something. When he instead kept his stare on the door, Tai smirked. Matt at least knew he should say something, even if he refused to start the conversation.

"So, operations officer, huh?" Tai said. "That's a big step up."

Still aimed at the door, Matt's eyes turned into a glare. "It's called 'homestead affairs.'"

"That's just Takuya pretending he's doing things differently. I read your job description." Matt rolled his eyes towards Tai, who quickly added, "But hey, call it whatever you want! It's a good gig!"

Finally, a smile broke as Matt conceded a nod. "Should be interesting. Hope it doesn't take as long to straighten Takuya out as it took for you."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You'll need it for Takuya."

"What's this about Takuya?" Both Matt and Tai tensed up hearing Sora's voice as she snuck up on them. Now Tai knew why Matt had been watching the door.

His failure left him stammering, scanning for an escape route. Narrowing her eyes, Sora took the yellow bag off his shoulder and slung it around hers. "Thanks. Using the bathroom on the train is rough."

Matt averted his eyes long enough for the heat on him to die down. Tai didn't understand why there was any at all. Actually, there were a few things he didn't understand. "So what's going on?" he asked Sora. "Surprised to see your name on the final list." He tried to sound neutral. In reality he expected it to be about him.

The way she demurred didn't help. She struggled to launch into an answer. Instead, Matt raised his voice. "Tai, if she wants to go, let her go! She doesn't need to explain herself."

Tai matched his volume. "What, I'm not allowed to ask?!"

"Hey!" Sora shouted, silencing them both. Calmer, her hand lowered the intensity. "It's just… there are a lot of reasons I'm going." She and Tai locked eyes. "Tai, you're not the biggest one."

They were frozen on that until Takuya stepped in, slapping his hands together. "Okay, hey guys, let's try to wrap this up and get on board."

Matt looked around. They were far from the only ones belaboring their goodbyes. "Why? Nobody's in a hurry."

Gabumon nodded, eying Matt. "Takuya's learning fast. We should get going."

"Yeah, I suppose," Matt conceded. He and his partner headed for the train. Tai stuck out a fist; Matt met it with his as he walked away. Takuya folded his arms and smiled.

Tai immediately returned to Sora. "But seriously, I don't get it. What's… what's the biggest reason?"

"The… the biggest reason?" Sora took a step back, head darting between Tai and Takuya. Takuya stood alongside Tai and waited for her answer. He glanced at Tai, a wry smile growing.

Sora stood up straight and looked directly at Tai. "Me. I'm doing this for me." As he stared back, she cheated one look at Takuya. He tilted his head, but nodded along.

All these years and Tai still couldn't read her. She could have been furious with him but opting instead for a clean break instead of a conversation. Someone may have talked her into going and she wanted to get out before the second guessing started. Or, by some miracle, maybe she actually was looking out for herself and doing something bold to escape the malaise. He certainly couldn't fault her for that.

Opting for optimism this time, Tai smiled, genuine and affectionate. He approached, wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her close. "Well, take care of yourself over there. Hope it works out for you."

Both her hands found his back. She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent one last time. "Thanks Tai." Sora pulled away and headed straight for the train, glancing at Takuya only briefly but walking past without a word.

Takuya, of course, watched her the whole time. So did Tai as he walked up to him. Once she boarded the Trailmon and left their sights, Takuya said, "Told you she was awesome."

They stood there in silence as the rest of the boxes and the final stragglers made their way on board. Both boys waited until the very end. "So… you ready for this?" Tai asked.

"I wish you'd stop asking me that every time we talk to each other," said Takuya. He took his first few steps towards the train, then stopped and looked back. "Don't worry, I ask myself that all the time."

Tai nodded back. "That's good to know." Takuya lazily saluted before resuming the march to his post. A minute after he disappeared into the first car, every door closed and a shrill whistle blew.

Most of the well-wishers gathered at the edge of the platform as the train rolled forward, all waving their last goodbyes and even shaking hands through open windows. Tai hung around behind them. This certainly wasn't like last time. Even if everyone was saying goodbye, he still felt the joy in the room. Despite the individual worry Matt or Sora or Takuya may have shared, together there was an air of confidence. Even apart, they were still united. And that, Tai reasoned, made them invincible.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 5:** **"No Spoilers, Please"**  
Cody insists on paying his respects to Daigo, who doesn't want to hear about his fate. The mission to find a home for the internationals leaves Marcus in awkward company. Eri's plans for entertaining the camp ruffles feathers around the castle.

" _I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you. That's hard to process."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**  
I try not to dive too much into what everybody was doing with their lives when they got pulled in, but talking about Astra seemed natural. His story arc talked a big game about what he was planning on doing, but didn't specify how, which felt important given that internet fame and tea ceremony mastery are polar opposites.

Koichi being unsettled over Ai and Mako had even more weight behind it when I believed the two were twins. In fact, there's no consensus on that (and Ai certainly looks older) so we'll keep that vague. The scene isn't meant to build to anything bigger, but rather one of many scenes or single-chapter stories we'll throw in to give some characters that aren't as involved with the main stories some attention. The notion of who and why we forgive will be a recurring theme, however.

As always, reviews are appreciated! Follow Twitter ( firstagentarp) and Tumblr (firstagent) for updates on when posts will resume. And if you've really been enjoying this story (or the previous ones, or my reviews), I do have a Ko-fi set up (arpulver) and any donations would help spur me on and keep my motivation up!


	5. No Spoilers, Please

**Author** **'s Note**  
We're back again with another run of three more chapters! I know that was a long break, but I'm crossing my fingers that I can start to pick up the pace after this. All three of these had tricky action sequences that take me forever to map out. The next segment will have four chapters, but only one is action-intensive so here's hoping it'll go faster. One loose guideline I use to balance the adventure and the drama is to put fighting scenes in roughly half the episodes (until the climax, of course). This is just a weird stretch where we load up on action for several chapters before a prolonged cool off.

 **Nexusworld**

 _I don_ _'t want to know how it all turns out._  
 _I put my time in and I'm hanging around_  
 _To see how everything is gonna work out in the end._  
 _I don't know how to feel and I don't know why_  
 _It seems like everyone's trying to rush through their lives._  
 _Like knowing how it ends is better than taking the ride._  
 _\- Kirby Krackle,_ _"No Spoilers, Please"_

 **Episode 5**

Cody Hida, from a young age, had always been taught the importance of respecting the dead. His grandfather stressed visiting the graves of loved ones, and regular prayers to keep their spirits at peace. He knew to honor the memories of those departed that had guided him in life, including the sadly plentiful number that lost theirs to keep him or his friends alive. Cody wished his grandfather was with him in this world to impart additional wisdom for this situation, as he stood alongside Daigo Nishijima outside a decaying castle on the edge of a swamp. The hanging mist made him wonder if Daigo was alive or if the patrol team had taken their location scouting into the afterlife.

To the best of his knowledge, he had never spoken to Daigo. Until today he didn't know how he acted or what he sounded like. All he knew was his name and his deed: sacrificing his life to save Cody's team after their defeat and capture. Even the name alone was a ghost, always spoken in a subdued voice and packed with emotion whenever used. No matter how many times he prayed or visited Daigo's grave, Cody's heart stung whenever he heard it. Many of the older kids stuck to epithets when referring to him to avoid upsetting anybody. After their arrival here, Daigo Nishijima was the reason Davis so readily agreed not to talk about what happened.

"So what's the plan?" Daigo asked, staring at the stone walls and rusted gate. Whatever he was back home, here he was just a teenager hoping for a reason to shed his cynicism over their situation. All the mental pictures Cody formed of this man cracked and shattered.

To make things even stranger, Cody wasn't the only one with this problem. Alongside Daigo, two others joined the patrol team on their home hunting party. One of them had kept to himself the whole trip, hanging around the back with a satisfied smile on his face. He weaved through the group, strolled up to the portcullis, raised a fist, and lazily clanged on the bars.

Then he smiled at his son. "Always polite to knock first." Marcus folded his arms and looked away, finding Yoshi who barely contained her laugh.

The gate cracked, snapped off its chains, and crumbled into dust. Amid the stunned stares, Spencer turned around and flicked his fist. "Heh, still got it," he said, more amused than smug.

BanchoLeomon offered to stand guard as everyone else entered, several mumbling under their breath how strange it was to have BanchoLeomon there at all. This included Marcus, trudging through as everyone gathered in what should have been the courtyard. Pieces of blasted wall dotted the hard dirt, with small stones and debris littering the spaces between. They were all that remained of the sprawling main building's front facade. Parts of three floors still stood, but entire rooms had caved in, taking parts of walls with them.

"You guys really want to live here?" asked Ryo.

Michael grimaced. "Tai said it was in rough shape."

"It… it has a rustic charm." Nobody responded to Kazu's insincere encouragement.

"So we need to make sure it's empty and fixable," Yoshi declared. "If it's both, you can live here."

"Would you live here?" Lalamon asked.

"Not on your life." She eyed Marcus. "Marcus, what's the plan?"

He snapped to life, having zoned out staring at what remained of the architecture. "What? Um…" He eyes panned across the room, dwelling a little too long on Spencer before taking a deep breath and pounding his fist. "Okay, let's pair off and check the place out. I'll go with…" He eyed his father again, just for a moment. "…I'll go with 'Merica." Michael flared his eyebrows. "Yoshi, you and Da… Spencer. Kazu and Ryo. And Daigo and Cody. Meet back here in an hour, got that?" He flashed a confident smile, met with a host of shrugs and nods. Cody distanced himself from Daigo to prevent him seeing the shudder.

As Marcus dragged Michael and Betamon over a former wall into the darkness, Spencer and Yoshi watched in confusion.

"Don't tell me he's always like this," said Spencer.

"No…" Yoshi shrugged. "But I guess to him, in the last twenty years you've spent what? A week together?"

He nodded. "He also had to kill me once."

"There's that too."

"Well, of course it's strange," said Cody. "Much as I'd love for my dad to suddenly appear, it would be very confusing."

"But Cody…" Yoshi began. "Unless I'm confusing you for someone else… which is very possible since I forgot everyone's history… isn't your dad for real dead?"

Cody peeked at Daigo again. "I don't know how it works anymore."

"Cody!" Daigo called out. "You coming?"

He was, dragging his feet, trying not to look at his specter of a teammate. Daigo pointed at the hole closest to the end. "Guess we'll take this one."

"Sounds good," Armadillomon said, covering for his partner.

Farther in, the intact walls formed a proper hallway rounding a corner. Both humans switched on their flashlights, hearing only their footsteps and breathing, sensing only the cold, wet air.

"It's not very homey," said Daigo, cheating towards Cody to catch the non-reaction. "Are you always this quiet or is it just the spooky castle?"

Cody shared an uncomfortable glance with Armadillomon. He hadn't registered the gloominess of their surroundings. It was nothing compared to his present company. Not that he could say that. With a gulp, he instead answered, "It's my first mission with this team. I didn't think Marcus would send us out on our own."

Daigo nodded, apparently buying it, but replied, "Well, if it helps, I trust you won't get me killed."

Cody's whole body twitched. He barely held onto the flashlight.

"What was that?" Daigo mumbled, holding his light out. He and Bearmon marched ahead. Cody didn't have the energy to follow.

"You got to tell him, Cody," Armadillomon said, adding to the discomfort. "I know how much you wanted to say to him."

He was right, of course, but Cody still hesitated. This should have been a precious opportunity to express his appreciation for Daigo's sacrifice and sympathy for a horrible fate. But his team had always been so reticent to talk about Daigo's death with everybody else; how was he supposed to tell Daigo himself? With a deep breath, and a nudge of Armadillomon's nose, Cody knew he had to push ahead. He had too much to get off his chest, and Daigo was going to have to find out one of these days.

Head down, Cody charged down the hall, a bull in slow motion. He found his target creeping along the wall and, voice firm for himself more than anybody, called out, "Mr. Nishijima?"

Daigo jumped, fumbled his flashlight, and turned around, gasping for air. "What the hell, Cody?"

"Sorry. I just need to talk to you. It's about your future."

Rolling his eyes, Daigo stepped out to the center of the hallway. "Well first off, you can quit with the Mr. Nishijima. I don't need everyone treating me like an old man. And if it's about my future-"

With no warning, the floor collapsed under Daigo. Cody retreated to the wall in time, but Bearmon reached out for his partner's hand, grabbing it only to get pulled down with him.

"Mr. Daigo!" Cody shouted, leaning over the edge, careful not to disrupt the stone blocks threatening to fall next. Daigo and Bearmon fell to a lower floor, into the river of water flooding most of it. He shined his flashlight down, trying and failing to catch sight of either surfacing. "Mr. Daigo?!"

"Would saving his life in return make you feel better?" Armadillomon asked. Cody gave him a nervous look, not wanting to admit it might. Not that it mattered, as they would take the plunge either way.

The chilly water jolted his entire body, stinging his skin and weighing down his clothes. He kicked off the floor to return to the surface, only just making it before his arms protested and threatened to sink him again. Cody fought his own muscles to get an arm out of the water, only to flail helplessly in the dark.

It made contact with something, which then clutched his wrist. Cody couldn't be sure if it was friend or foe but had no strength to fight it either way. It was a load off, however, enough to keep his head above water long enough to take in the air he needed. It pulled his body slowly to the edge.

"You okay?" Daigo asked, nearing a shout. Cody's guilt doubled at needing his savior again. "There's a little ledge up here to-"

"Daigo, help!" Bearmon shouted from somewhere in the middle of the pool, loud splashes accompanying him.

"Bearmon!"

For the first time, Cody realized he didn't see where Armadillomon landed. He also realized it didn't matter. His free hand fought his belt loop to get at his D3. "Digi-Armor Energize!"

Submarimon surfaced, directly under Bearmon from the sound of his confused moans. "Anyone else need a lift?" Daigo and Cody braved the biting water again, stumbling their way atop the floating Digimon. Cody switched on his radio to call for a rescue, grateful that unlike their flashlights, it still worked.

In the meantime, all they could do was wait in the darkness for someone to fish them out. Maybe it wasn't the best time to continue their talk, but Cody needed it to happen. "As I was saying before…"

"About what?" The sharpness in Daigo's voice suggested annoyance, but may have also been concern over Bearmon's wheezing.

Instead of bringing up the future or trying to frame his respects, Cody just came out with it: "I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you." He exhaled. "That's hard to process."

He couldn't see Daigo's reaction, so the ensuing silence was unbearable. It ended up being neither surprised nor angry, but calm: "When you think about it, everybody could say that about us. And yeah, Himmy and I used to think about it a lot. Especially when people gave us a rough time. We'd think… they could be dead if not for us and they don't even know it… it was really hard to shake that."

Before Cody could clarify, Daigo added, "But you did it all too so you could say the same thing. I guess future me should thank you for saving him."

"You have no reason to thank me," Cody mumbled under his breath. Now he felt even worse. "In fact… in the future-"

"Stop." Daigo was more forceful now. "I don't want to know. The teacher thing is bad enough. I don't need more details."

"But-"

"No, you're going to say something that'll bother me. You know what they say: a man should never know too much about his own future."

"It's really important," Cody pleaded, planting his hands on Submarimon's shell and leaning towards him.

"Is it? That future doesn't matter anyway. I'm here now. I've got a new future now. Let me do what I want with it."

He knew Daigo was right, but how else could Cody talk about what happened? And shouldn't the news be delivered as a positive, a selfless act to preserve life rather than one wasted too early?

"To be honest, I don't like thinking about the future," Daigo continued. "Everything we went through taught me to appreciate the moments we have. It's not like I don't have dreams about what I want to be, but I'm not giving up today for them." His voice softened, with less certainty. "That's… that's not a bad way to do it, right?"

Cody sighed. "I guess. You never know when your time's up."

"Yeah, exactly. So who cares about my future?" After a silence, Daigo added, "They got your distress call, right? It's too quiet down here.

The faint scratching sound in the distance made them both groan. Unpleasant as the conversation and conditions were, the threat of hostilities made it all worse. The noise grew, becoming clearer, of moist bodies smacking and slithering along the walls. The sounds multiplied, echoing through the chamber. While they defied the illusion of surrounding them, the growing mob suggested it would be reality soon.

The first wet clump struck Cody in the head, insulting his nostrils more than damaging him. Some must have gotten Daigo as well, as he moaned and muttered, "Numemon… figures."

As the pelting continued, but before they could ponder a response in the dark, they heard Yoshi above them calling, "You down there?!" They both shouted back.

A digivolution above them offered some light, enough to see Spencer shining a flashlight down his hallway, teeth gritted. Sunflowmon descended and used its Sunshine Beam attack, illuminating the entire room. Numemon covered every inch of the wall, ceiling, and water surface in front of them. The bright light damaged only a few, but temporarily blinded all of them. Daigo, Bearmon, and Cody jumped into her arms, followed soon by a reverted Armadillomon.

Almost as many Numemon surrounded them on the floor above. Sunflowmon fired her attack to provide light as much as an offensive. Spencer's flashlight was enough for him as he punched out any green slugs trying to pounce on him. On the other side, Yoshi knocked out a few with her own fists.

"How are we getting out of here?" Cody shouted.

As the Numemon closed in across the walls, one of the stones wobbled enough to let in a beam of light from outside. It was enough for Daigo to point to it. "There!"

Bearmon charged at the spot. "Karate Fist!"

Armadillomon followed, rolling up into a ball. "Diamond Shell!" Together they smashed through the wall. Sunflowmon flew out of it in an instant, with Yoshi and Spencer right behind them.

They met the other two teams at the gate. Sludge covered Michael's shirt and Kazu and Ryo pried four Numemon clinging to Guardromon.

"Is it empty? No," Michael said. "Is it fixable?" The crash of a wall collapsing inside interrupted him. "Also no."

"Yeah, that was literally crap," Kazu added, flinging the last Numemon off his partner. "What are we doing for lunch?"

* * *

Joe Kido had earned his relaxation time. The first week had been a grind. 216 arrivals meant 216 check-ups and more than twice as many vaccinations to split between the new kids and their Digimon. The process pulling these newcomers into the world always managed to bring along their Digimon, digivice, essentials like glasses, and, for reasons incomprehensible but never questioned, decorative goggles. A good start, to be sure, but Joe wished he could add prescribed medications to the list. Determining everyone's needs without their medical records and processing all these orders took a lot out of him. Gomamon forced him into regular breaks.

The first group leaving for Isthmian was a weight off his shoulders. He wasn't through with everybody, and he already dreaded his future train trips up there, but shuffling three dozen out the door felt like progress. Almost all of the hunters were part of that group, meaning he was through with all of the hunters. Since he prioritized the kids with the most urgent needs, those remaining were more routine physicals. Joe saw the path out of the woods, and looked forward to celebrating with a long, solitary bath.

He was thrilled about the solitary part. Unless he was willing to go in the middle of the night he couldn't guarantee the solitude he craved. Joe appreciated life cutting him a break for once as he washed up in anticipation of the long soak. That was his mistake: as he transitioned into the bath he heard voices in the changing room. Even so, he fought back the irritation. He'd still have the water to himself for as long as it took them to wash themselves. That was plenty of time to find his zen, either giving him the patience to tolerate sharing or the freedom to walk out content.

Closing his eyes to fast-track his meditation, he ignored the door sliding open. "All part of nature. All part of the plan," he told himself. Not part of the plan were multiple sets of footsteps making a beeline for him and several unclean strangers diving into the bath. Eyes shooting open, Joe found himself alongside a half-dozen foreigners. He couldn't recognize them without his glasses, but the shapes he could perceive suggested they were not all male.

The closest shape swam to him and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Oi, Joe! Didn't see you in here! Welcome to the party, mate!"

"Derek!" Joe shouted, the unmistakable Australian accent revealing his company. He kept his eyes skyward and his hands in front of himself. Even without his glasses, he neither wanted to see nor be seen. "What's going on?!"

"Had to check this place out! Thought we'd make a shindig of it!"

Joe could barely hear him over the other bathers and didn't want to try leaning in closer. "You're supposed to wash up first!"

After a moment's reflection, Derek said, "Right, I remember that from the video. Heh, washing before you wash, you fellas are weird."

"Oh, you're getting it now!" A distinctly female voice shouted before a heavier round of splashing.

"And another thing!" Joe protested. "This isn't a mixed bath!"

"C'mon, we're all on the same team!" Derek replied. "What's the point of being digidestined together and having all these adventures if we can't all hop into the pool afterward? You'd be fine with it with your team, right?"

Joe needed only a moment to picture it before concluding he wouldn't. As the party grew louder, he knew his dreams of a quiet bath had been dashed and his best bet was a graceful retreat.

Then he realized his towel was back at the washing station. He sank deeper into the increasingly discolored water, hoping it all would end soon and wondering how these guys got over here in the first place.

* * *

Kazu Shioda once wondered if the patrol team's new roster would steer clear of the interpersonal tension previous incarnations thrived in. The clashes between Marcus and Rika were a memory, but even Ryo didn't see eye to eye with the leadership once he joined. He needed a few months to properly adapt, and even then still clashed over whether to intervene in certain matters. Kazu couldn't predict if Cody's sense of fairness and justice would fit right in with Marcus's thinking or if his commitment to rational thinking and opposition to pointless violence doomed the relationship from the start.

He'd have to wait to see it in action, as the tension wasn't between Marcus and Cody, but rather with the addition of Spencer and Daigo to the mission. Well away from the castle, Ryo and Yoshi served lunch as Digimon rested, batteries charged, and clothes dried. Cody wouldn't stop staring at Daigo in the distance, conflict across his face. Kazu found it fascinating. Every time he thought he knew everything about the digidestined…

"So what's the deal with you and the new guy?" Kazu asked Cody.

The digidestined broke his stare not to respond, but to lower his head. As he picked the tomatoes out of his salad he answered, "I don't know how to talk to the dead."

"It's not that hard," said Spencer, poking a head over their shoulders. "Just don't bring it up." He pointed to the tomatoes. "Are you gonna eat those?"

Cody offered his plate, cringing a little. "But he died for me and my friends. That's the only way I know him."

"What, you think I did it to look cool?" He flashed a cocky smile. "I bet I looked cool. Especially as a Digimon."

"You've been a Digimon too?" Ryo said, joining the group with Yoshi and Michael. "Feels weird, right?" Spencer's smile faded into confusion.

"Where's Marcus? He's usually first in line," asked Yoshi.

Kazu pointed him out, chatting with Daigo, well out of earshot. "Goggleheads flock together. I say leave 'em; I wanna hear more about this Daigo guy. You said he was dead?"

Michael's eyebrows flared up, a broad smile crossing his face. "Right, I suppose this is strange for you, Cody. I forgot you were in there." He turned to Kazu and Ryo. "It's quite a story."

Ryo shrugged. "Long as I'm not part of it, I'm game."

Without looking up, Cody shook his head. "No no, you would have been gone by then."

Michael leaned away from Ryo, scrutinizing him. "Why would you be…" His eyes widened. "Wait, are you Ryo Akiyama?"

Eyes narrowing, Ryo answered, "No."

"Oh." Abandoning his curiosity, he dropped the subject. "But it all has to do with King Drasil and his plot to reboot the Digital World."

Yoshi sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, that sounds like King Drasil."

Cody nodded. "Right, Ken stumbled on his plan. We were captured when we tried to investigate."

"This rings a bell," said Spencer.

"Wasn't Daigo's teammate in with him?" Michael asked, as if nostalgically recalling a story that didn't threaten all existence.

"Himekawa? Yeah." Cody paused to seethe for a moment. "Can't believe she's here."

To Kazu, Michael concluded, "King Drasil almost wiped out humanity."

"As he does," Yoshi replied.

"Kind of reassuring to know it's not just our world," Spencer added. Yoshi folded her arms and nodded in hesitant agreement.

"Anyway…" Cody gritted his teeth. "Daigo sacrificed himself to get us and Tai back home safely." He looked over at Daigo and Marcus laughing with their partners. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for his death. But now he's here too. I want to talk to him about it but he doesn't want to know what happened."

"Well of course he doesn't," said Ryo. "Knowing that's your fate? That's horrible."

"What's so bad about that?" Kazu flashed a grin. "Going out in a blaze of glory? That's pretty cool if you ask me."

"All except the dying part," Spencer replied.

Ryo shook his head. "Probably thinks he had his whole future ahead of him. You want to go tell him if it wasn't for getting sucked in here it would have ended so soon?"

"Eh, I don't know…" Kazu glanced at Cody before turning back to Daigo. "I'd take that over becoming a lawyer."

* * *

Ken Ichijouji sat on the dock, kicking his legs in the water as Rika swam laps. He was satisfied with his swim, although he regretted letting it become a race, regretting winning it even more. Swimming was a regular part of Rika's workout, but now she worked extra hard and far longer than usual. Renamon stood nearby with a stopwatch, despite no markers in the water suggesting distances. Everything was an estimate.

Even so, Renamon said, "Last fifty. Pick it up." Despite admiring how Rika somehow swam faster in response, Ken was happy it was almost over.

Once she passed her arbitrary finish line, Rika looked up at Renamon, who gave her a disapproving head shake.

Trying to calm the scowl on her face, Ken said, "It's all right. The world isn't going to end over a bad 800 freestyle time."

"Well you don't always have to be ready for anything."

"Tell that to Command. They get nervous when we go out like this." He cleared his throat. "And they really have the wrong idea about what we do out here."

Rika rolled her eyes. "Well that's none of their business."

"And to be fair…" Ken dropped into the river and paddled up to her. Within inches. His forehead caught water droplets from her hair as she turned away. "They aren't always wrong."

She looked his way again, resisting for a moment before finally letting him coax a smile out of her. He loved how she crafted her own idea of perfection and the way she demanded it from herself and others. Even more he loved how he frequently he rose to meet it, but also helped her settle for the occasional respite.

As he leaned in towards her, her smile fell and her eyes widened. She looked past him. "What was that?"

Ken looked over his shoulder. Renamon was the only presence on the dock. She scanned the area, then phased out. The swaying trees and bushes and the river's babbling prevented total silence, but he didn't see or hear anything unnatural.

Rika stopped to listen. Her paranoia spread to Ken. Not that he never had the eerie sensation of being watched, rather it was so common he found it as normal as joy or sadness.

Rather than peer at every branch on shore. He forced himself to look upstream. It only made things worse. "Rika?"

She saw the barge floating downriver toward the dock. It was only a hundred yards away. "But… Jeri said nothing was coming in today."

"Let's get clear of that thing," Ken said, turning around and diving into a swimming stroke.

Rika followed, adding, "What did you say about a bad freestyle time not being a big deal?"

They lost ground on the boat, but it didn't matter as it stopped on the dock. Ken and Rika ducked under a hanging willow tree, using it as cover as they watched a Crabmon jump into the water to guide the boat to shore. Three Gekomon tied it down.

"Who are these guys?" asked Rika.

Unfamiliar voices called out from further inland: "Oh good, we got here on time! Quick, grab everything."

Ken kept his voice down. "Do we need to report this?"

Rika didn't: "Strange Digimon stealing river supplies? Of course we need to report this! Where's your Terminal?"

"Um… on the dock." He ignored her grunting. "But instead of stopping them, we should find out where they're taking everything."

"But-" She sank into the water. "This is going to end with us chasing wild Digimon in our swimsuits, isn't it?"

He smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "Sounds like a date you'd enjoy."

Still pouting, she drifted closer to him, nestling under his arm.

They continued to cuddle in their hideout watching the Digimon the boat. Nobody spotted them behind the leaves.

"This is actually a nice spot for some privacy," Ken said, squeezing her.

"Not a chance," Rika said forcefully. "I still think something else is out there."

Ken took his eyes off the unloading party to scan the shoreline closer. The thick woods offered few sight lines and plenty of hiding places. He peered in so deeply he almost missed the girl clinging to the base of the tree providing such magnificent cover. Even six years older, her face, skin, and pigtails helped Ken recognize her immediately. By then she had already kicked off her sandals and leaped, cannonballing into the water fully dressed.

She popped up, clutched Ken's free arm with both of hers and cooed, "Ooh, what are we doing in here?"

Ken's eyes bulged. Straining, he replied, "Nice to see you again, Rosa."

"Friend of yours?" Rika abandoned all pretense of stealth, nearly shouting at Ken.

"I am!" Rosa replied jubilantly, pulling Ken closer. "Ken, don't tell me you found a girlfriend."

"None of your business!" Rika exclaimed, face turning red.

Trying to maintain some sense of calm despite two girls tugging him in opposite directions, Ken said, "Rosa, what are you doing out here? We're miles away from your camp."

With a sly smile, Rosa mimicked Rika: "None of your business!" She stuck her tongue out at her new rival.

Ken peeled himself away from both of them, swimming forward to face the young Mexican. "It really is. There are dangerous Digimon in these woods. You shouldn't be out here unprotected."

"I'm not! Gotsumon's helping unload stuff. I have every reason to be out here!" Rosa smirked. Ken sighed in exasperation, eyes rotating between watching for Rosa's next move and making sure Rika didn't plunge into the river from embarrassment.

Rosa folded her arms and shimmied water out of her hair. "Ken… aren't you going to introduce us?"

* * *

Marcus Damon refused to look back at his team as he marched them around the swamp. With their target location a bust, they still had to find something before Michael, Daigo, and Spencer could go away and leave his team to their regular patrol. He hated to admit how much he wanted that.

After slogging through yet another wet patch, Yoshi sloshed her way up to him. "Marcus." Of course she was angry. He ignored her. "Marcus!"

Finally, he pointed ahead. "There's some higher ground up there. It should be drier, okay?"

She yanked his earlobe. "What is going on with you?!"

"You think I want to be playing real estate agent for these guys? There's no good place to settle down around here!"

Yoshi looked back, leveling her voice to prevent it from carrying. The random chirps and buzzing from the swamp life made it easy. "One of 'those guys' is your dad! The way you used to talk about him I would have thought you'd be loving this."

"Well I'm not. Guess you don't know me all that well."

That did the trick: Yoshi stopped and let him march ahead. But Agumon stayed at his side, his claws fidgeting. "Uh, Boss? Um… I'm kind of confused too. You, like, worshiped your dad."

Marcus took a deep breath, but didn't answer.

The promised higher ground proved to be even more prized, as the tree cover gave way to a large meadow. The added sunlight was like stepping inside on a rainy day. The grass came up to their thighs, but the ground was dry and the noisy wildlife subsided. More trees sprouted up a hundred of yards away in every direction, and a couple still sprouted out of the brush. Marcus led them to one and called for a break.

As everyone settled in the shade, Marcus drifted away. He ended up tracking halfway back to the swamp before stopping, standing in place and closing his eyes in hopes of this ordeal ending soon.

The crunch of the grass behind him wasn't encouraging. Marcus didn't need to guess who it was: "I know it's not the best parenting tool but… do I need to punch you?"

"Maybe," Marcus replied. "Don't know if it'll help."

"It worked with BanchoLeomon. Turns out I had to jog his memory." Spencer looked down at his fist. "Didn't think I'd have to do that again." Marcus wasn't amused or surprised. Of course a reborn Digimon would lose his memories.

"Marcus, if you're worried about what I think about you running this team, don't." Marcus shook his head, but it didn't stop Spencer from continuing: "You're a man now. You should do things however you think is best. After everything that happened, consider me retired. I've had my adventures. I'll let Richard and these other guys make the decisions here. Back home I was plenty happy catching up with your mother and Kristy."

Not only was that not the problem, Spencer attacked what really was. "And where was I?" Marcus blurted loudly, turning around as Spencer stepped back. "Half the reason I went to the Digital World in the first place was to get you back so we could all be a family again! And what do I do first thing after it happens? I bail on all of you." He huffed repeatedly, a snorting bull ready to charge. "I was thrilled being out here. This is what I'm supposed to be doing. Which Digital World? Who cares? Now you show up and all I can think about is what I left behind."

Spencer waited to make sure Marcus was done, then searched the air for a response. "I never questioned your decision. This was your purpose and you knew it."

"What about Mom and Kristy?" Spencer's silence provided the answer. "Yeah, thought so."

"You made a sacrifice. I did it once too."

"I didn't have a gun to my head. And they lost something too, whether they wanted to or not."

Spencer shook his head, a sneer on his face. Not at his son as much as frustration that he didn't have the answers. "Listen, I don't want to be here again. I've spent enough time in the Digital World to not want to be back. Not with what's back home." He took a deep breath. "But I'm stuck here and I've got to figure it out. You've got to do the same thing. And you've been in here a lot longer."

This was true, but Marcus never had such an accursed representation of his decision in front of him. All the heartache of Spencer's ten-year absence flooded his head, followed by the reality of him throwing away his chance to heal it. As long as his father was around, all the doubts he'd spent years ignoring floated in the air.

"Marcus… do you really regret leaving?"

The question froze him. He never found reason to think about it before, but now, with both sides in front of him, the answer was murkier. He found himself grappling with good arguments on either side.

He hesitated long enough that it was broken not by a sudden epiphany, but by a fist striking him across the face with a perfect left hook. The trees at the edge of the swamp seemed to rattle from the blow. Marcus staggered, but didn't fall, rubbing his cheek without wincing. The act wasn't a total shock—Marcus's lifestyle meant a punch in the face never totally surprised him—but the perpetrator's identity widened his eyes.

Agumon was fuming. "What, you think all that time with me in our Digital world wasn't worth it?! What about all the good we did over there?! We helped so many Digimon! We helped the world get back on its feet! And…" He lowered his claw. "And you didn't have to say goodbye to me."

Marcus stared for a long time, then shrugged. "Yeah, that's a good point. What would you have done without me around?" He cracked a toothy smile. Agumon returned it.

"And hey, if you really miss your family so much, you've got one here now!"

Spencer grinned. "Hey, we can spend as much or as little time together as you want. It's up to you. I figured I wouldn't ever see you again, so this is all bonus time."

Marcus scratched his head. "Sure, but what are fathers and sons supposed to do together? Especially around here?"

The trees rattled again, this time louder. It wasn't from the force of a punch, but a Digimon winding through. Orochimon popped out of the grass five feet away. All of its heads hissed at them.

As BanchoLeomon rushed up to them and the others hopped into battle positions, Spencer cracked his knuckles. "I don't know what normal fathers and sons do, but I know what we're going to do!"

Marcus's smile grew. "Pick a head and start wailing! It's fighting time!"

* * *

Eri Karan's smile grew as the procession of Digimon dropped the boxes from the river shipment. The cornerstone of her grand vision had arrived and an international coalition began unpacking everything as her minions managed the inventory. Her implemented improvements may not have changed anyone's fundamental living conditions, but if her job was entertainment and recreation, she was going all in.

She turned to the castle, now only a few hundred yards away, in full view of the relocated train camp. Two Iranians headed down the path outside the front gate, both with arms full of books. Eri added "raid library" to the checklist on her clipboard.

Would somebody in the castle be upset? She was banking on it.

"Eri!" shouted Megumi, her Pawnchessmon wielding another clipboard. "Sonya needs to know where to set up the tent."

"That clearing over there looks good, but if they see something better go for it," Eri replied.

Next came Meiko: "Are we supposed to use a generator for the karaoke machine?"

"Yes, but just one. Gotta save the others."

She passed it on, but froze before turning back to Eri. "Oh… this could be bad…"

Eri saw Tai atop Greymon, stomping toward them. She folded her arms and smirked. "Yeah. Right on time."

Meiko stayed as the commander rode up to them, dismounting as Greymon de-evolved. Eri stood tall, summoning her confident, empowered idol persona as Tai stormed up to her, surveying all of the camp's new goodies. He took a deep breath before asking, "What the heck is going on?"

"I'm supposed to keep everyone entertained. That's what I'm doing."

"You weren't supposed to move the whole camp! We didn't clear that!"

"That's why it's entertaining!" When Tai only returned a blank stare, Eri added, "Mina thought it was funny."

With far more caution, Meiko said, "If we're closer, everybody can access the castle. It would help with baths and showers. And we could do all our meals in there. Mimi said she'd prefer it that way."

Eri pointed to Meiko. "Mimi hugged her when she brought it up. I saw it."

"That's fine, but there's only so much room in the castle," said Tai. "The hall's not that big and the bathrooms get crowded enough already. We'd have to figure out a way to make all that work."

"Perfect. What time works for you?" Eri replied.

Tai frowned at her before turning back to Meiko. "And you definitely can't stay here forever."

"Why not?" Eri looked around. They were atop a small hill in an open field with no threats in sight.

"The wind off the mountain hits this place pretty bad. The storms can be destructive. There used to be trees up here. And you really don't want to be around here during the Peckmon mating season."

With a bashful stare, Meiko cocked her head at Agumon. "Digimon… mate?"

Agumon shrugged. "No, but some think they're supposed to."

Tai watched two Nigerians walk by with a gas grill. "And what's with all this stuff you ordered?"

Eri rolled her eyes. "We've got to pass the time somehow. Jeri said there weren't any restrictions."

"Yeah but…" Tai paused to collect himself. "One Digimon has to summon all this stuff! And we really need her, so we shouldn't be pushing our luck making her ship us…" Tai looked at the procession of luxury items again. "…entire disc golf courses."

"Ooh, that looks fun," said Agumon, getting a hard stare from his partner in return.

"I'm sorry!" Meiko chirped, dropping into a bow.

Eri ruffled, eyes sharply turning to her cohort. "Why are you apologizing? You told me this was a great idea." With the same intensity, she targeted Tai. "It still is."

Head still down, Meiko said, "We didn't know it would cause so many problems. We can move back to the grove if we need to."

"We will not!" Now Eri was furious.

Tai held a hand up, head darting between the two. "Hey hey! Girls, it's okay. They're out there now finding a permanent spot so it shouldn't be much longer. You just…" He focused on Meiko, at risk of hyperventilating. "Look, I want you all to be comfortable too, but you need to keep us in the loop. There's a lot of moving parts here and you've only been here a week. There's a lot you don't know about."

Meiko kept her head down, but seemed calmer. Eri remained ready to pounce on anything counterproductive coming out of Tai. "Me and Henry will meet with Mina and them to find a way to make this work. Just… ask us next time, okay?"

"Fine," Eri replied, trying not to sound entirely dismissive. She was content enough with the plan, just not the one proposing it. Tai surveyed the camp one more time, huffed out his displeasure, and retreated with Agumon.

"I'm sorry." If Meiko had moved at all, it was to face Eri.

"Again, why are you apologizing?" Eri spat, even though she knew. By now, it had become instinctual. And understandable. And yet very frustrating.

Besides, they got the outcome they wanted. "That went fine. We get to stay and they'll make it work." She grinned. "You just have to go for it sometimes."

"But Tai wasn't very happy about it," said Meiko, looking back at the castle.

"And we still won." Eri raised an eyebrow. "You know, you going contrite probably helped us out. I probably would have slugged him." Extending a nod, she added, "This could work out between us."

Meiko was taken aback. "Eri, I don't want to have to apologize to Tai for everything we do."

Eri's face straightened. "Okay. Then stop apologizing."

* * *

Daigo Nishijima watched with amusement as Bearmon pounded on the last moving Orochimon head. Between Marcus, Spencer, and their Digimon, it was already well beaten, but the little cub insisted on helping out and refused any assistance, either in the form of an evolution or a more powerful fist. By the end, the other participants cheered him on as he landed the final cross destroying the giant snake.

"Did we really need to kill him?" Cody asked, huddled under the tree, well away from the action.

Kazu smirked. "Us? No. Marcus? Totally. Welcome aboard!" He high-fived Guardromon, who had landed a few good blows himself.

With his partner in the middle of the celebration, Daigo waited it out with patience. No need to cut Bearmon's fun short. The business could come later.

Michael started it anyway: "Well, that's a red flag."

"Is it?" Daigo replied. "They took care of him like he was nothing. My pal's Orochimon wouldn't go down if you had a bulldozer."

"Between your team and Mr. Damon's I think we're well protected." Michael looked down at his Betamon. "And it's not like the rest of us are helpless."

He flagged Spencer over, needing to wait out a celebratory chokehold with Marcus and a respectful pensive glare with BanchoLeomon. Spencer was in good spirits when he arrived, which suited Michael and Daigo well.

"We talked about it, and we want to propose this clearing for our new home," said Michael.

"In the middle of nowhere? Next to a swamp?" Spencer was more curious than critical, ready to give it a go anyway.

Daigo nodded. "It'll be easy to defend, we're obviously near fresh water, and we've already worked out transportation."

"Plus there's no Digimon nearby to disrupt, so Command will be happy," Michael added.

The shadow of Sunflowmon fell over them. Daigo waved as she landed nearby. Yoshi jumped off and reported, "So the woods aren't that deep. It clears away to a hillside. That's too open to want to settle in… but in here you've got some cover."

As Daigo sighed in relief, Michael flashed a bright smile. "Excellent! Should we see what Command has to say?" Yoshi nodded and the two found a corner to send a transmission.

Bearmon returned, claiming a high-five from Daigo and keeping his spirits trending up. A promising place for a new home and a capable win could do that. Even seeing Cody approach them wasn't going to sour Daigo's mood.

Still, he braced himself. If anybody could kill a buzz, it was Cody and his uncomfortable insistence on talking about Daigo's future. Now he came bearing a folded sheet of paper tied with strands of long grass.

Head down, Cody said, "We were talking about how you saved everybody before." He gulped. "Your friend lost her partner in that fight, correct?"

Confused, Daigo looked over at Bearmon, who leaned in, eyes narrowed. "Um… yeah. Tapirmon."

In a bow, Cody offered the paper. "I wrote Tapirmon a letter."

"You wrote… Tapirmon… a letter?" Bearmon repeated. Daigo was happy he said it. This was bizarre, yet too somber to ridicule.

Forcing it into Daigo's hands, Cody looked up at them. "Yes. I don't like knowing someone else sacrificed themselves for me." He focused squarely on Daigo. "I wrote a letter to show my gratitude and pay my respects. Please read it."

Daigo stared at it, flipping it around to eye both sides. The grass binding fit loosely, sliding around the paper and surely would have fallen off if he let it. It was decorative, a sign of both the impromptu nature of the letter and Cody's insistence on formality. Daigo sensed something very familiar.

Cracking a smile, he said, "I think I'm getting a picture now." Cody stared back, eyes betraying nothing. "You into calligraphy?"

With some hesitance and broken eye contact, Cody answered, "Yes. For a couple years now."

Daigo nodded. "You know, I only joined the calligraphy club because they wanted me to find something to focus on. A way to calm down and let go of my stress. It's good for that."

"Yes, I know."

"I didn't really care about being good at it. And I didn't like our advisor at all. But some of the kids there… they were all in. Hung on every word." Daigo fiddled with the paper some more. "You seem like one of those types."

Cody didn't respond, eyes darting between Daigo and his letter.

Tilting his head, Daigo said, "All I'm saying is… those kids really liked our teacher. Saw him as a mentor. I bet he appreciated them a lot, you know?" He hoped his grin would get something out of Cody, but it didn't take. "It's okay. Don't tell me anything. Like I said, I don't want to know anything about the future. But if I'm anywhere close…" He held up the letter. "Thanks for this. I'm sure Himmy will appreciate it too."

Cody's head dropped, nose clenching. "Of course. Just please read it." He turned around and walked away, head shaking the whole way back.

Daigo was tempted to open it himself, but thought better of it and stashed it into his pocket. Much as he wanted to see what was inside, he knew he had to save it.

"You're going to read it for me too, right?" Bearmon asked. "I know Himmy was his partner, but we were all his friend."

"Of course," Daigo tousled Bearmon's cap.

"Good news!" Michael said, returning from his and Yoshi's call. "Command approved the location."

Daigo stood up straight, his smile growing. "They did? No excuses about why this place wouldn't work?"

Yoshi shook her head. "The only reason they were worried was a nasty Orochimon that kept driving out anyone who moved in."

"They weren't sure if we were ready to build something from scratch but…" Michael looked around their new space with a satisfied look on his face. "…I quite like the idea. They'll fly the others in to check it out, but once they approve we'll start drawing up plans."

"Gotta admit I like the sound of being able to do things our way," said Daigo.

Michael nodded. "So do I. So do I."

"You guys really think you can build a whole settlement for everyone you've got?" asked Yoshi. The meadow didn't look to be any larger than the enclosed grounds of the castle.

"Either way, it won't stop us from trying," replied Daigo. "It's fun not knowing the future."

* * *

Davis Motomiya couldn't look away from the mesmerized smile on Kari's face. He didn't see it often enough. Rarely was she so captivated she allowed herself to ignore the rest of the world and devote all her attention to this one thing. Was it the one-sided conversation, either the stories or insights she was hearing? Or was it Astra himself, rambling away with untamed words and mannerisms? From the nearby table, Davis couldn't pick out what Astra was saying, or if he was even aware how deep Kari was into it.

So he and TK just watched with a mix of amusement and confusion. "No doubt about it," said TK. "She really is into him." He shook his head. "I do not understand it."

"I know, right?" Davis replied. "I mean look at him… blond hair, part foreign, one of those creative types, stupid hat… who'd think Kari would ever go for a dude like that?"

TK nodded along, adjusting the porkpie atop his head before it slipped off. "Does he even notice?"

"What? He's got to! Someone like Kari doesn't just fall in your lap without you realizing it." Astra stopped talking, but only to fill his face with noodles. Kari broke off her trance long enough to do the same.

"We need to give her so much grief tomorrow," said TK. Davis grinned and nodded.

"Do you really think you'll win her back that way?" The new voice, female and French, startled both of them. They sat up straight, breathing in as Catherine stood with her tray. After a short standstill, TK gestured towards an open seat. Catherine nodded, smiled, and took it.

"So what's the occasion?" Davis asked. Catherine raised an eyebrow at him. "All the tables here and you're sitting with us two losers?"

With a nervous grin, TK said, "What Davis meant is we're glad everything got worked out so you guys can eat here."

Catherine nodded along, more focused on separating her chopsticks with any sort of grace. They snapped apart, terribly uneven.

She attempted to take her first bites, noodles slipping through every time. She set them aside and said, "So, Kari's dipping a toe into international waters now."

TK peeked at Astra again. "He's what, half English?"

"Boils the blood a little, doesn't it?" Catherine winked. "That's the French in you."

"No!" TK chuckled through his denial. "It's just… unexpected, that's all."

She rubbed his shoulder. "It's all right. We're all friends here. And I know all about your Kari problems back home. At least here you can cry on my shoulder for real instead of online chat."

As Catherine gave her chopsticks another go, TK stared back in confusion. "My Kari…" He shook his head with a defiant smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Again, the noodles slipped through. Catherine concealed a wry a grin. "I think you do."

TK turned to Davis, watching the whole thing in amusement. She kept struggling with her chopsticks, doing her best to hide her increasing frustration. Every time she failed to get a bite, she shot TK a nervous glance. Her hands shook more.

Davis threw his hands behind his head. "No point denying it, TK. You're super jealous. All those years with her and she falls for the new kid after a day? It's just like when she met me."

"What are you talking about?" TK's voice elevated. Much as he tried to keep his cool, a twinge of irritation escaped.

Undeterred, Davis pressed on: "She's just a heartbreaker. Maybe we should warn Astra."

TK only glared back, punctuated by the clatter of Catherine's chopsticks falling to the floor. He broke it off to turn to Catherine, smile never wavering as he gently insisted, "Just get a fork." Catherine sighed in defeat and trudged to the utensil stand in shame.

The moment she was out of earshot, he leaned in towards Davis, no longer hiding his anger. "Cut it out, Davis. That's not what's going on here." He glanced at Kari's table for a moment, but she was gone. "This Astra thing is weird but I'm not hung up on it or anything. If Kari's into him or whatever, that's fine. I'm not mad about it."

Davis just shrugged. "Hey, whatever you tell yourself."

TK popped out of his seat, lunging even closer. "Seriously, what are you trying to pull, Davis?"

Unable to contain his grin any longer, Davis said, "What else? I'm hooking you up with a hot French girl."

TK froze, eyes widening as he turned to Catherine retooling. He slid back into his seat, never taking his eyes off her. She turned around, noticed his staring, and waved the fork back with a bright smile.

"She seemed to be into the whole 'healing a broken heart' thing," said Davis.

TK turned back to him in awe, wagging a finger at him. "You're a good friend," he said.

Catherine sat back down, taking a big slurping bite from her noodles before looking up at the staring boys. Her next bites were more dainty.

In between nibbles she said, "At some point, TK, you might have to accept that you two weren't meant to be."

With a slow, thoughtful nod that Davis found hilarious, TK forced a smile and said, "You know… I think I've known that for a long time. Maybe I just needed someone to say it." Davis stuffed a heap of noodles into his mouth to keep from laughing.

Catherine stopped eating for a moment to take a few deep breaths before turned to TK. "You know if you want, we set up karaoke at the camp. Would you like to go with me?" She froze in place, barely summoning a smile. "Find a sad song about lost love and belt it out for everybody?"

TK's was more natural, but his frantic nodding betrayed his attempt to play it cool. He glanced at Davis once before answering, "I'd like nothing more, thank you." Davis forced himself to bury his head to keep his grin from blinding them.

* * *

Kari Kamiya had no idea how to carry herself now. After Joe called it out, Kari didn't need much soul searching to realize the disconcerting truth: she had a crush on Astra. It wasn't an intense connection stemmed from a deep bond or anything serious like that. But she couldn't help but develop an affection for his carefree attitude, smooth talk, and hidden reverence and respect for the people and traditions warranting it. She composed herself well enough to produce their videos, and their efficient teamwork fed into the fondness. All the while, she couldn't ignore the rush of joy she felt being with him, and too often thought about him upstairs during her officer duties.

Luckily, Astra was more than open to hanging out after hours. He was more than open to just about anything, an intriguing wild card for her to wonder about. With their dinner trays parked at a corner table, she returned with a juice for herself and a bottle of tea for him.

"Green tea, I assume?" Kari offered him the bottle, satisfied her tea ceremony knowledge had allowed her to read him a little.

She was dismayed by his grimace. "Oh… thing is with tea ceremony I'm used to the real thing. This bottled stuff tastes so fake." He opened it and took a long drink anyway. He winced, slamming the bottle on the table and pointing down. "Yeah, not groovy."

Kari frowned. She didn't want him to feel compelled to finish it, so she took it herself. "I'll drink it then. Don't want it to go to waste. So bottled tea's a no then?"

"Oolong's all right. Do they got any of that?"

She nodded, her smile returning. "I don't think Izzy took it all to Isthmian." She slid out of her seat. "Want a bottle?"

Astra hopped up and patted her shoulder. "I'll get it. Gotta check their selection anyway." She stared at him the whole way, not realizing it until a dropped tray from another corner (and the ensuring applause) snapped her out of the trance.

The first time she moved to sip from the bottle, she paused before it touched her lips. The bottle had touched his. Normally Kari wasn't one to put any stock into something childish like that, but did anyone else? She looked around. Most of the tables weren't paying any attention. Even TK and Davis, who had been watching her and Astra like hawks, either moved on or were being more subtle. With the coast clear, she took a hesitant drink. It was as bitter and unappetizing as she expected. She kept drinking.

Once Astra returned with his bottle of oolong, she set it down and pulled her hands to her lap. "Man, I gotta give Mimi some recommendations." He plopped down in his seat. "Once in a video I tried twenty kinds of tea in a row. I had to pee so bad after that!"

Unsure how to respond to that, Kari lowered her head and tried to pick out which culprit caused her blush.

After his own long swig, Astra pointed at her. "So what are you doing Sunday?"

She forced her head up. "Uh, we don't really do weekends upstairs. The Digimon outside sure don't."

"Aw… 'cause we should go out."

A jolt knocked her backwards. The blush deepened, this time with no doubt why. "Ah-out?"

"Yeah! Out of the castle, go fly around or something. I need to see more of this place!"

She exhaled, but her heart still raced. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I can get TK to cover for me." With a chuckle, she added, "For a second I thought you were asking me on a date."

Astra froze, staring at her with a blank expression. Enough to make her regret bringing it up. She couldn't tell if he found the notion ridiculous or clammed up at seeing her in a romantic light for the first time.

It ended up being neither. He snapped his fingers and grinned. "Oh, even better! I bet I can come up with the best date ever! Let's do that!"

"What?" she gasped. Having a stupid crush on him was one thing. Steps toward a potential relationship was another. Now she had to weigh all the implications and potential reactions and consequences. What would Tai think? What would TK think? How loud would Mimi scream?

Astra had exactly zero of these concerns. "Yeah, yeah! I'm getting ideas already! I'm gonna sweep you off your feet! It's so groovy!" Throwing up his hand gesture was the polar opposite of romantic, yet got a calming chuckle out of her.

Now the whole thing felt easy and casual, and there was still that odd fixation with him making it impossible to say no. "Okay then," she said, picking up her bottle. "Guess I'll see you Sunday." She took a drink to seal it.

He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "Indirect kiss," he said with a wink.

* * *

Maki Himekawa tried to be a good sport about everything. She entertained conversations from other girls, smiling and laughing and enduring all the uninteresting small talk. She listened to Eri's proposals for recreation and offered feedback. She even let her teammates drag her up to do karaoke. Being social and engaged did make her feel better, and a few of the smiles she managed as her squad belted out hits the other kids likely found stale were genuine. None of it mattered. In the end, she'd still be stuck partnerless in this strange world.

Daigo's return brought conflicted feelings. On one hand, she never took his safe return for granted, especially knowing his luck. Then again, his constant need to check up on her wore her out, especially the hopeless belief that he could somehow fix her. Maki knew there was no fixing this, and she found validation in the others who had suffered similar fates. She saw it in Meiko. She saw it in Ryouma. They may have faked it better, but their losses left them broken and empty just like her.

Awkwardly fidgeting with a piece of paper, Daigo sat next to her in a lawn chair overlooking the castle. "Well, mission accomplished," he said, forcing a smile. "They'll send the other reps up there to take a look, post some defenses, then we'll all get to building."

"Good," she replied half-heartedly. While their own home sounded good and, in theory, she could contribute to its creation, she had doubts. Maki was an ideas person, which may or may not be heard here, and any computer skills she had may have been obsolete in this time period.

"Um…" With no follow-up, the conversation ran out of track. "Do anything fun while I was gone?"

"I guess." She held up a finger. "Although anything the other three tell you about my singing ability is a lie."

Daigo grinned. "I bet you're a good singer."

"That's the lie."

With a chuckle, then a sigh, Daigo looked down at the paper. "So, uh… one of the guys on the patrol team, he uh… I think he knew me from the future. Really weird kid. Kept wanting to talk to me about what happens."

"One of your calligraphy students?" Maki asked in jest.

"That's my theory." He shook his head. "Anyway, he, uh… wrote a letter." He took a deep breath and presented it to her. "It's for Tapirmon."

Maki's eyes narrowed. "Tapirmon?" She took the letter, a hand trembling as she contacted the paper. "Why's he writing to Tapirmon?"

"Something about showing respect for someone who died to save everybody." Maki recoiled, shooting him a disgusted look. "I told you, he's a weird kid."

Knowing full well she wasn't going to enjoy this, her disdain and Daigo's curiosity made her slide the wrapping off and read it anyway.

"My father was a police officer. He died in the line of duty when I was young. So it's important to me that we honor and respect everybody who gave their lives up to save others. I've done it for everybody, human and Digimon, that sacrificed themselves during my adventure, and I try to honor those that were lost before my time. I know we've never met, but remembering what you did for us, and both the human world and Digital World, all I know is that you're one of the bravest souls I wish I could have encountered. I know I can't tell you all this directly, but know that I will never forget what you've done, and I hope that you are at peace."

Daigo nodded along as she read it. "That was pretty good. Tai did say something about them honoring all the Digimon that died helping us. They must take that pretty seriously here."

Maki stared at the paper, completely unmoved. "They still don't understand. Tapirmon was more than a hopeless martyr. The only thing this boy knows about him is he died. What about when he was alive? When he was my… everything?" She shook her head. "Now if they could meet him and see… maybe then they'd think about him the right way. Until then…" She gripped the edge of the paper in the center with both hands.

An inch into her tear, Daigo cut her off. "Whoa, whoa… I, uh, promised Bearmon and them they could see it too." Maki sighed but returned it with no protest.

Folding it back up, he continued, "But maybe you should tell Cody what Tapirmon was like when he was alive. I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

Maki hummed her uncertainty. "I don't know how I feel about meeting with people who know our future."

"I'm with you there," Daigo said with a chuckle.

"What if, all those years into the future, I really never see Tapirmon again?"

"I mean, that's the most likely scenario." Firmer, he added, "You know that… don't you?"

Deep down she did, but that was the sort of thinking she insisted on suppressing. She needed to keep the faith alive, no matter how improbable. To know with certainty that it really was over and Tapirmon was dead forever would be a fatal blow. Believing in the chance of a reunion kept her going.

Not only that, but the train of thought the letter had led them to pushed her towards a new glimmer in the distance: "This world has the ability to pull everybody in from different time periods." She stared ahead at Megumi trying to teach her PawnChessmon actual chess. They were about fifteen years ahead of Maki's team, and from a different world. Yet they were still in front of her and very much real. "Maybe it could go back further to pull in Tapirmon?"

Daigo looked away, scratching his head as his upper body squirmed. "I don't know. Potentially, but I don't know if they want anyone messing with stuff like that. Tai got kind of uneasy when I mentioned your reboot idea."

Maki rolled her eyes. "You told him about that?" She scoffed. "Like I would have been able to pull that off." Her teeth clenched. "Homeostasis controls me. I don't control it." They loosened suddenly. Out of nowhere her eyes welled and her body numbed. "It's probably the same here… whoever's in charge… who am I to boss them around?" Tears trickled down as all the doubts floated across her hope like rainclouds. "Who am I kidding? It's the same as the reboot. More vain delusions of a sad, silly girl."

Her head drooped, staring at the dirt below her. Daigo bit his lip, clutched a fist, looked away, then swept down to a knee to clutch her shoulders. "Don't say that, Himmy. You forgot the most important thing." She looked up at his hard stare and smooth grin. "You're a clever… sad, silly girl. I don't know if it's really possible… but if anyone can find a way, it's you."

A smile forced its way out of her as she blinked away his reassurances. She couldn't let on how much she needed them. They didn't stop. "And hey, don't worry about Tai. He's afraid you're going to blow the world up or something." He raised his eyebrows. "I know you better than that. You love being a digidestined. You love helping save the world. You miss being a part of that as much as you miss Tapirmon."

Maki nodded back. She never thought about it, but he was right. It wasn't even the thrill of every evolution or standing by her partner in battle. She also took with her the satisfaction every time her crafty plans succeeded, the growth of her and her teammates, and the knowledge that she was making a difference. As much as she needed Tapirmon back, she craved these feelings as well.

"You really think I can do it?" she asked. Her skepticism was gone. Now she was eager for more of Daigo's optimism.

Daigo backed away, his smile growing. He held up a fist and answered, "Dream big."

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 6:** **"Every Night I Dream of Dancing"**  
An investigation team discovery gives Haru and Rei a chance to access the world's internet, but at great risk. Kari isn't ready for the surprises Astra brings to their date. Airu tries to avoid maintenance duty.

" _We need to believe in the absurd right now."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Not gonna lie, I was trying to come up with a reason for Spencer not to be here. His revival was fairly pointless, but he did come back and he certainly did have a partner and a digivice (the lack of which, incidentally, is what prevented Kristy and Hajime from dropping in) so here we are. For all the dramatics over how he died, BanchoLeomon's still died in the Digital World so it stands to reason he'd come back through the normal process… and Spencer would jog his memory because that's what Damons do.

Covering the obligatory Marcus/Spencer stuff at the same time as Cody and Daigo not only offers the oddity of Cody's situation not being entirely unique, it also lets some of the Data Squad cast take in King Drasil's role during tri… which would indeed be very familiar (he even talks about reboots in Data Squad too). The most hilarious parallel is that Spencer (who was King Drasil's puppet for a time) shares not only a voice actor, but the exact damn voice as Mysterious Man's Gennai form in tri… who is also working for King Drasil.

When Daigo says "you know what they say" regarding someone not knowing about their own future, he's of course quoting Back to the Future. The reference is lost here, but his line to get with Maki in tri. part four is taken from film, so there's precedent for him quoting movies to sound witty.

Here, Tamers Ryo may or may not be the same as Adventure Ryo, but since he doesn't remember it's a moot point, and constant sore spot, for him. See Neverworld (ep 6) for more details.

While you're at it, you might want to go back and jog your memory about the rift between TK and Kari that ends up growing between them in their future (ep 10). That's where Davis and Catherine are coming from.

He can't come out and say it, but Cody taking an interest in calligraphy in response to Daigo's sacrifice might be the most Cody thing ever.


	6. Every Night I Dream of Dancing

**Author** **'s Note**  
Along with this, I have a new story out as part of a new tri. zine with art and stories from a bunch of different creators! Head over to Nadenadeproductions on Tumblr to order the Dandan zine between now and February 16. My contribution recounts the events of tri. from an important unheard perspective: Joe's girlfriend.

 **Nexusworld**

 _Lights and music, we live inside of the sound._  
 _It doesn_ _'t even matter that one day we'll be gone._  
 _Roaring laughter and morning afters abound._  
 _You know we could go anywhere, but we can't go wrong._  
 _\- Andrew Huang, "Every Night I Dream of Dancing"_

 **Episode 6**

Tagiru Akashi sprinted into the cafeteria, barged into the middle of the buffet line, whipped together a plate of beef skewers, forgoing the vegetables, then dashed to a seat across Haru. Rei, Gatchmon, and Hackmon glared at the entire trip.

"So guess what I'll be doing here!" Tagiru leaned in and grinned at all four of them.

"You're part of a field team surveying the surrounding territories and ensuring their security," said Hackmon. Everyone turned to him. He ate a piece of beef, oblivious.

"I wanted to announce it," pouted Tagiru.

Rei raised an eyebrow at his partner. "How did you-"

Tagiru interrupted, recovering in an instant: "But isn't that cool?! Takuya said we might end up in some dangerous situations!"

"That was a selling point?" asked Gatchmon.

"Sure! I'm not staying cooped up in here! I bet I'll see a ton of cool Digimon! Plus it shows that Takuya knows what I'm capable of!"

"That's great!" said Haru, his smile genuine.

"Plus I'll be with Mikey and Christopher! On equal footing!" Tagiru tilted his head. "I mean, Mikey's technically the captain, but you know what I mean."

"Well, just be careful. Nene said the last group that went out there got into some trouble."

"Oh that's right…" Tagiru finally sat down. "You two get to work with Nene. You're so lucky!"

Eying Haru and his willingness to humor Tagiru, Rei asked, "Why's that?"

"Nene's amazing! Did you know she used to be an actual idol?"

Rei lowered, then shook, his head. "Who hasn't these days?" he muttered.

"We'll be right at home," Haru replied.

"How long before you get internet?" asked Tagiru.

"It depends what we find out there. If we can get to another server, we can see how it's connected and go from there."

"Nice! I'll keep my eyes open in case there's anything on my side!"

While Haru smiled again and thanked him, Rei narrowed an eye. "Why are you so invested in this?" Tagiru returned a blank stare. "Command doesn't condone this, and you have nothing to gain in helping us." He ignored the looks from Haru and Hackmon. "You're very motivated, but I don't understand what your motivation is."

Tagiru waved him off. "Pssh. Like you need a reason to help a buddy out." He turned to Haru. "What's up with this guy?"

Nervously darting his eyes between Tagiru and Rei, Haru forced a grin, looking down at his lap. "Well, you've always been so eager to help me, we never talk about you. You seem really excited about doing field work with Mikey. Are you after anything?"

"Me?" Tagiru pointed to himself. His eyebrows flared. "That's simple. I want to run the place."

Now the blank stares were on him. With a slow head shake, Gatchmon asked, "What, you're angling for Takuya's job?"

"Nope, Tai's." He took the ensuing silence as cause to elaborate. "All the legendary heroes are here! You think I'm going to quit with Mikey? I have to surpass all of them now!" He leaned back and folded his arms. "And when I'm in charge, I sure as heck ain't gonna stop you from bringing your friends back to life."

Gatchmon shushed him. Rei leaned forward, seething. "Don't say that out loud. Nobody else can know what's going on. We don't mention Yuujin around others."

"You just did," said Hackmon.

"We have to keep this secret."

Tagiru nodded along. "Right, right." He pumped his fists and looked up, exuberant despite the lecture. "Man, this is so cool!" He took a breath and faced forward again. "Well I'm outta here. Keep me posted!"

"What about eating your-?" Haru looked at Tagiru's plate. Somehow, only the sticks remained. Tagiru hopped to his feet, took his tray and slammed it on Ewan's service cart on his way out.

Rei rolled his eyes. "Him being a leader? That's absurd."

Haru stared at the exit. "Yeah, well…" He let out a contemplative sigh. "If it wasn't for him, I would have given up on this by now." He turned back to Rei. "And think about it, trying to get hold of his profile from here? When we don't even know if we can access our internet?" With a smile, he concluded, "We need to believe in the absurd right now."

"I wish the absurd wasn't tied to someone so obnoxious. I don't know how long I can tolerate Tagiru before I lose it."

"Well I made it about ten months," said Ewan, pushing the cart behind them. He scowled at the dirty tray atop it. "Go any longer than that and you're some kind of saint."

* * *

Ryouma Mogami shuddered when he realized he had spent the last fifteen minutes staring at a stack of dingy green file folders. With so many responsibilities falling under the broad scope of hospitality, organization was going to be key. So of course he'd be dismayed at folders that were not only uniform in color, but a repulsive one at that. Rather than waste his time installing these into the cabinet, he checked the catalog for alternatives. The assorted pack of folders was too mundane for his taste, so he scoured deeper, trusting someone would have thought to produce such essentials in eggplant and gunmetal gray.

He quit his fruitless search when Sora barged in with two sheets of paper. "Crisis over. Jeremy fixed the stove." She saw the unfilled folders. "I thought you were organizing."

"Perfection takes patience," he replied, turning around, flashing his smarmy grin. "Thanks for helping."

Sora's eyes drifted to the corners of the room. In the days they'd been working together, her lack of reaction to his quirky graces left him wondering if she'd even noticed them. Good or bad, they usually made some impression. "This is my job. I'm supposed to help you." Adding some sternness, she said, "You're supposed to keep everything straight. A pile of empty folders won't help."

He leaned forward, scrutinizing her. "I bet you could come up with a system far more efficient to the one I'm envisioning."

"I'd just use Jeri's." She raised her hands. "But you should do what you're comfortable with. I won't make you do it my way. You're in charge."

"Why is that?" Ryouma narrowed an eyebrow. "You have experience and a useful connection to the leadership. You could have seized my position easily."

Sora scoffed. "No thank you. If I couldn't work under Izzy back home, there's no way I could work under Matt here."

"Ah, so I catch all the scrutiny… I'm seeing this now… you're banking on me relying on your expertise to maintain control, while I answer to the bureaucracy. Pretty ingenious actually."

When her eyes widened and she took a step back, Ryouma knew he had sniffed her game out. "No, no, I'm okay with this arrangement. In return, you're handling much of the manual labor." He clasped his hands together. "Plus if this partnership is a success, I get the glory."

"This is the exact same thing I did with Jeri!" Sora shouted. "Stop making it sound sinister!"

"I bet Jeri is more shrewd than she looks."

"Well…" Sora wavered, eyes drifting. "She is. She's really strong. She lost her partner; she has to be."

Ryouma wore the same cool face, but it was a curve in the conversation he didn't expect. Without knowing how much Sora knew about Astamon, he had to measure his response with care. Something told him dismissing the subject wasn't the optimal play here. It always had been before.

Her eyes caught his again. Even before catching his reaction, she reached out. "Oh… sorry… guess I shouldn't bring that up. I forgot about…"

Now he didn't have a choice. He waved her away. "What happened happened. No sense dwelling on past mistakes." At least his own mistakes, he reasoned.

"But…" Sora got her turn to narrow an eye. "You lost your partner." She bit her lip, navigating the subject with care. "I got most of the story from Ewan. I know he betrayed everyone, but still…"

Ryouma clenched his teeth, chin raising. "For purposes of the hunt, these things don't work the way you might be accustomed to. The relationship between Astamon and I was strictly professional."

"You can't really mean that." He found it hard to look into her piercing eyes. None of his lies could escape them. "Airu and Opossummon adore each other. And Tagiru and Gumdramon have a great relationship. It can't be that different."

He managed a deflecting grin. "How can you say it's similar when we have entire collections of Digimon at our disposal?"

"Where are your other Digimon?"

His grin fell, his eyes cheating to his Fusion Loader. "Well… seemed that Astamon found them nourishing pre-conquest appetizers."

She suppressed a gag. "That's horrible!"

"You understand why I'm not as attached to him. Even through the good times, Psychemon wasn't very talkative."

Sora only shook her head. "You're really all right with this? You did so much together and he… turned on the whole world. And you. I wouldn't be okay with that. And…" Her eyes drifted. "…I probably wouldn't tell anyone about it. Even though that's the kind of thing where it really helps to have a friend to talk to.'

Keeping his breathing in check, Ryouma forced a smirk. "Well, it's a shame we aren't friends. We're strictly professional. Like Astamon."

She stared back in disapproval, but after a few seconds of silence, she shrugged. "Then I hope you have someone." She turned around and opened the door, looking back to add, "Digimon partners are great at that."

Once the door closed, Ryouma spun around, back to his screen. Suddenly, he couldn't concentrate, his mind cloudy and indecisive. Part of him was even ready to concede and use the ugly green default folders. He looked back over his shoulder to the door and sneered. Perhaps he and Sora wouldn't work out after all.

* * *

Airu Suzaki surveyed the three Gizamon grazing on the bushes above the waterfall, too many brilliant ideas popping into her head to track. She found the Gizamon cute enough to hunt, making them the perfect specimens for a potential new hunting program she had been kicking around. After extensive trial and error, she had learned the digiquartz mechanic allowing the capture of defeated opponents didn't work here. Therefore she needed other methods to grow her collection.

Beyond captivity, she mapped out the "gentle persuasion" required to convince Digimon to join her "willingly." Now she had to determine which method of acquisition lent itself better to such brainwashing. Would they take better to Opossummon beating them up or some sort of surprise net? Furthermore, would either approach endanger the stream and the waterfall below? And since it came up, should she be thinking bigger and forgoing her passion for hunting to harness the electrical power of the waterfall for her own to-be-determined uses? All of these sounded too fun to pass up, but her time was precious.

The loud hum of a nearby power surge scared the Gizamon away. Normally this was her cue to start laying the trap for their return, but she took the noise's timing and source as a sign to go the other direction. How silly of her to pass up the chance at her own hydroelectric dam. She needed to figure out how to make one and hoped the library had books on the subject.

She tiptoed her way past the shrubs back down to the path. Airu had already navigated up once and didn't expect the return trip to offer any surprises, but loose rocks sent her skidding. At the bottom, she couldn't avoid tripping over the giant pipe half-buried in the ground. She face-planted into the dirt as a knee scrape announced its arrival. The pain wasn't as bad as knowing her leg was likely bleeding and certainly had an unsightly blemish.

"Someone there?" Airu cursed hearing JP's voice. She thought about running, but even a minor wound made it an unsavory option. Besides, with any luck, he'd carry her back. She could go for that sort of treatment, even as she fought off Opossummon trying to help her to her feet.

JP not only didn't pick her up, he didn't help her to her feet. Airu was still on the ground when, hands on hips, he said, "Is this where you keep disappearing to?"

Airu clutched her knee, wincing. "Way to care for a girl in pain." It worked: he relented and, with a sigh, offered two hands to help her to her feet. She stood normally until thinking better of it and clutched JP's arm for support.

He put an arm around her waist and carefully guided her to the path. Opossummon shot Airu an inquisitive look; she returned with one telling him to stand down. Still, exaggerating her injury may have backfired. He was compassionate enough to tone down his anger and pathetic enough to enjoy the physical contact, but now she was stuck on a slow walk with him. Even if she dulled his bite he'd still have plenty to say.

"Seriously, what were you doing up there?

"I could ask you the same thing!" she fired back. "You keep saying how busy we are."

"I was checking on our water pumps up there. And we're only busy because you don't do any of the work."

"Hey, Airu fixed the clog in the boy's showers yesterday!" shouted Opossummon.

"You found that and fixed it on your own. You didn't even know there was a ticket for it." JP shook his head. "What were you doing in those showers anyway?"

Airu scoffed. "That's a pretty personal question." He didn't need to know she'd been mapping out the floor plan, electrical grid, and water system of the entire main floor of the castle.

"You're lucky I don't report you. Henry won't be happy if you aren't doing anything around here."

She feigned her best shocked reaction. "You're going to tattle? What, are you eight?"

"We're supposed to be a team! The way you disappear all the time I'm surprised Command hasn't busted you for something already. They can look up when we leave the castle."

With a laugh, she answered, "You haven't disabled that yet? I turned location tracking off my Fusion Loader the day they installed it. I'm not letting them keep tabs on me. That girl watching everything is super shady."

JP stopped in his tracks to stare forward in confusion. "You mean Kari?"

She almost forgot to stop. "Yeah. Can't trust her."

He continued, insisting on holding her close. The pain was almost entirely gone, but Airu kept selling it. "But man, you can mess with your digivice? You must be super talented. But can't you do something useful?"

"Eh, I'm not bored enough for that yet."

JP shook his head and kept walking in silence. Airu was fine with that. With an entire world here to make her playground, why should she conform so quickly? Honestly, why did everyone else? At the very least she needed to test her boundaries. She hadn't been forced back yet, so why should she stop?

As they entered the castle, Airu tried to pull away. JP didn't let her. "Nope, we're getting Joe to look at that. And after that, we're picking a ticket out for you."

Airu rolled her eyes. "What if my leg needs to be amputated?"

With no skepticism, JP rolled with it. "We'll work around that. But you'll feel better about being here if you chip in a little. With your skill, everyone will love you!"

Airu gritted her teeth and looked down as he dragged her to Leo Tower. "That's unlikely," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Izzy Izumi refused to succumb to the tedium of exploration. The investigation team was used to going weeks without finding anything interesting, but after a couple days he worried about the new recruits getting restless. His inquisition about advancements in programming and the state of the internet in the future wore out Rei's social tolerance, not that he stopped talking until Hackmon made up a reason to pull his buddy away.

Haru was more encouraging: he put a good smile on and understood science involved endless downtime and infinite patience. Gatchmon, on the other hand, never stopped moving, scoping out every minutiae of their surroundings, no matter how mundane. Izzy had to leave the bombardment of questions to Tentomon to field. Of course, he'd probably be doing the same thing in Gatchmon's situation. This was a new world to him, and Izzy would never deny an inquisitive monster the chance to learn about it.

This corner of the world left him with questions too. The team relocated to Isthmian to cover new terrain on the continent. While they left the unsettled territory to Mikey's security patrol, there was plenty of ground on their home landmass to explore. As Nene and Zoe took aerial surveillance shifts, Izzy, Haru, and Rei held down the camp.

Sitting around the fire with plates of Rei's egg bake, Haru stared at Gatchmon asking Tentomon about tiny holes in the ground. "He's not bothering Tentomon, is he?" he asked Izzy.

"I'm sure he's used to it by now. Usually we're the ones asking all the questions about the Digital World."

"Oh, I've got plenty. Like what do you usually do when you find a server?"

Izzy smiled, happy to explain: "We do a quick scan of its contents and determine if it's worth taking back home for further analysis. But I'm curious if Gatchmon and Hackmon can do more."

Haru nodded, mumbling, "That's the plan."

"Plan for what?"

Jolted out of his concentration, Haru stared back in panic. Rei chimed in: "Finding something on the network. Tying up loose ends on some research. The data we need should still be available."

Haru didn't relax until Izzy smiled back. "Can't stand not to see it through to the end, right?"

Taking a few breaths to calm down, Haru said, "Sometimes you can't put a good book down."

"Well, good luck. Each server has something to offer."

"Zoe's here," whispered Hackmon. All eyes drifted over Izzy's shoulder to the fairy Digimon floating over a rocky hill, landing behind them, and returning to her human form.

"Find anything?" Izzy asked.

"Yeah…" Zoe marched up to them. "I found three boys starting dinner without us!" She pointed at the pan of eggs. "Those better not be cold."

"It was done," Rei snapped back, handing her the pan. "I'm not overcooking it just because you two are late."

Zoe scooped some with her bare hand and stuffed it in her mouth, mumbling as she chewed, a smirk on her face: "What, didn't expect us to find one?" She stopped, smile falling as she swallowed. With half a glower, she added, "Huh. It's pretty good."

Haru's eyes flared up. "You found a server?"

Nodding as she picked the pan clean, Zoe said, "To the northwest. Definitely suspicious. Nene's having a look around."

"You did?!" Izzy exclaimed. "Prodigious! I'm surprised you aren't more excited."

"Right, well…" Zoe cringed. "You'll see. Should we go now or did Rei make dessert?"

"Dessert doesn't need to be eaten now. It'll keep," said Hackmon.

* * *

A short flight later, the heaps of garbage covering a small basin jumped out at Izzy. Assorted fast food wrappers colored the layer, dotted by diapers, cardboard boxes, and rotting fruit. Pieces of twisted scrap metal stuck out of the ground to add depth. Kazemon held her nose even before she landed on the edge of the mess, and continued as she watched the others land. Izzy didn't resort to that, but almost threw up on landing.

"Our first mission and this is where you take us?" Gatchmon moaned. "Is this all yours? You guys are slobs."

Izzy shook his head. "Actually, we're quite responsible about breaking down or recycling our waste."

Zoe nodded. "But don't let JP drag you into a conversation about how we do it."

"That's why Zoe's right in thinking this is suspicious." Zoe blushed at the compliment despite cringing at the smell. "Where's Nene?"

A big swirly yellow pile rose off the ground, revealing bare legs and white boots underneath. Nene threw off her disguise. Even with a particle mask on, her eyes watered. "Something tells me the data on this server will be garbage," she said.

"Even so…" Haru took a deep breath, then bent over and wretched for half a minute before standing upright and attempting to regain some poise as he marched forward. "We have to find it." It kept Rei from opening his mouth, holding his sneer in silence.

Despite the disgust on Zoe's face, Izzy smiled at her. "You have to admire his devotion to research."

"I don't have to do anything," Zoe retorted.

They eased through the landfill, every step accompanied by a crunch, squirt, or splat. A few paces in, Nene gave up and rode on Sparrowmon instead. From the air, Tentomon observed a processing plant in the center and a navigable route to it. Everyone agreed to check that first before sifting through the nastiness outside.

Halfway in, a figure stood in their path. Normally, this was their cue to clutch their digivices and brace for hostilities. Kumamon's short, stout, smiling frame didn't get anyone's adrenaline pumping.

If anything, they met him with confusion. "Tommy?" Zoe tilted her head. "Is that you?"

Kumamon's grin grew as he stomped up to them. "Waddup! Boy am I glad to see you!"

"Did you fall into a data stream?" Izzy asked. "Why didn't Command notify us?"

Instead of answering, Kumamon wrapped his paws around Zoe, nuzzling his fur against her chest. "Uh, happy to see you too," she said, gently patting his head.

"Have you had a chance to look around?" asked Haru. "We're looking for a server and think it might be in the building in the middle."

Still clutching Zoe, Kumamon answered, "One does not simply walk to the server." He released all but Zoe's hand. "Come with me!"

As he led them down the path, Nene opened up the communication module on her Fusion Loader. "Miki? This is Nene. Could you ask Command if Tommy went missing recently? We just found a Kumamon but…" She paused. "No, Tommy, not Thomas. They'll know who he is. Thanks." She ended the call and nodded to Rei.

"This 'turning into Digimon' thing hits close to home," said Hackmon.

Along the way, Haru stepped on a tomato. The pulp splattered everywhere, with an eye for Zoe and Izzy's legs, and Gatchmon's entire body. As they reacted in disgust, Kumamon chuckled and said, "Very smush. Much red. Wow."

Shaking off the remains, Zoe said, "Uh, how long have you been out here? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Another cuddle from you and I'll feel a lot better!" Zoe was too shocked to blush at first, only doing so in response to Izzy's cheeks.

As they reached the processing plant, Nene heard back. By then, nobody was surprised by the news: "Miki says Tommy's still at the castle."

All eyes turned to the bear. "So who the heck are you?" asked Gatchmon.

With a fiendish smile, he boasted, "You expected someone else but it was me, Kumamon!"

Everyone looked at each other, trying to discern the right reaction. "Are we supposed to be threatened?" asked Rei.

Haru smiled at him. "We're going to head in now. Thanks for your help."

He and Gatchmon walked past him, followed by the others. The moment Haru gripped the door handle, Kumamon shouted, "It's a trap!"

It startled him, but rather than panic, Haru turned around and asked, "Is it really? Or are you just saying that to be funny?"

"Either he's trying to be funny, trying to scare us, or trying to endanger us," Izzy said. "He's not doing any of those particularly well."

"We could just delete him." Sparrowmon drew some alarmed stares. "What? Cody's gone!"

"I'll second that," Rei mumbled.

"Don't worry about him. Let's get inside." Haru threw the door open and charged in. Operating conveyor belts, presses, and furnaces greeted him. Everything appeared to run by itself.

Gatchmon ran a search and grinned. "Found something! It's under us! Look for a way down!"

They didn't need to search long before Sparrowmon spotted a hatch on the other side of the conveyor. Everyone followed Haru's lead leaping over the belt and the garbage on top to reach the open space across it. The conveyor surrounding them on three sides and the wall on the fourth boxed them in. Haru and Gatchmon strained to pull the brass wheel on the hatch door. Izzy and Rei added the force needed to unlock it and reveal the manhole into darkness.

A low shriek around them signaled the belts slowing to a halt despite the other machinery continuing. Kumamon jumped up on a belt and shouted, "Not so fast!"

They paused to look up at him… then continued without response. "So who's going in?" asked Nene.

"Fine!" Kumamon pulled out his snow launcher. "Winter is coming!" The balls of ice rocketed at the team. Everyone dodged the ones Tentomon and Sparrowmon didn't blast out of the sky.

"Still not scaring us!" Nene added.

Kumamon didn't care. "Heh, we got a badass over here!" On command, six garbage cans hopped up on the surrounding conveyors. The lids popped off, each revealing a sentient slime pile. "Garbage day!"

"Garbagemon?!" Izzy blurted, suddenly panicked. Despite their small size and disgusting theme, Garbagemon were Ultimates. He took a closer look. "Wait, those aren't…"

"Gomimon!" Haru exclaimed. "Those are Appmon!"

"Are they Ultimate level?"

"No, Standard, why?"

Sparrowmon fired at one of them, knocking it off the belt. "Because they don't scare us!"

"Reload… Mervamon!" Nene commanded. "Okay, boys hide downstairs. Girls stay and fight."

"Trash Bomb!" A Gomimon lobbed a pile of gunk at the group, missing everyone and slamming against the hatch door.

Nene stared at the mess, then looked over at Izzy. "Although maybe if you left Tentomon it would help."

Izzy nodded and evolved Tentomon as Haru and Rei descended the hatch with their buddies. He followed, leaving Sparrowmon, Mervamon, Zephyrmon, and Kabuterimon to dodge or absorb attacks from three sides. The easiest way to do that was fire back, and almost every one of their counter volleys knocked one off its perch. Some would jump back up, only to be blasted straight back to the floor.

Mervamon took a different tactic, jumping onto the conveyor itself and staring down Kumamon. The bear just winked at her and said, "Hey, how you doin'?" With a vengeful roar, Mervamon charged at him with her sword. He transformed into a mass of ice and ducked onto the side of the platform as she ran by, her sword instead impaling a control panel. The circuits inside sparked and shorted as she removed the sword, with a stray electrical charge from Kabuterimon enough to send the panel into flames. The fire hopped to one of the conveyors and spread.

Once the initial panel exploded and the flames leaped to several corners of the building, the Gomimon stopped attacking. Not that it was any reassurance to Nene and Zoe.

"Okay… now I'm scared," Nene mumbled.

* * *

Tai Kamiya hated Sundays in the Digital World. Nature didn't take weekends off, so the surroundings still needed monitoring, the castle still needed to function, and the international kids needed to keep planning their settlement. Sundays weren't special. In fact, until the tamers arrived in this world his team had lost track of the calendar entirely. But now that they did have their days straight, Tai felt entitled to a day of rest at the end of the week. Command had introduced enough cross-training to give all the key position holders regular time off, but none of those schedules treated Sunday any differently.

Worst of all, things were dreadfully slow upstairs. Plans for the new settlement were back at the drawing board after two competing proposals were both wholly incompatible, yet exposed enough logistical flaws in the other to render both unworkable. Neither camps were happy to see their plans die, but both accepted the decision… only after more heated discussion between Command and the international representatives. This meant an unsteady calm before both sides returned with their revisions.

It was about 10:30 when he noticed that Kari hadn't been upstairs all morning. Tai had gotten used to TK covering for an extra hour here and there to give her a little extra time off. Listening to all the loudest noises in the continent to determine threats was a stressful job, so Tai hardly cared. But to his knowledge, Kari was stuck on Sunday duty just like him, so to be gone all day was curious.

He tapped on TK's shoulder. TK looked back with a suspiciously welcoming smile. "Hey, is Kari not coming in today? I didn't think she had off."

"Yeah, I'm covering for her. Kind of a last second thing. She's on a date." TK returned to his post with no further comment.

Tai grimaced. It was entirely possible TK was messing with him, and that Kari was just hanging out with friends or spending the day with Gatomon. Neither was worth a second thought. And what were the odds that TK, her best friend for so long (and ideally more, if Tai read him right) would be able to process Kari on a date like it was an every day thing? To Tai's knowledge, her only "dates" in the past had been with Izzy… and they didn't talk about Izzy anymore.

At the same time, he was enough of a specter to force Tai to feed the troll and tap TK on the shoulder again. "Like… seriously on a date or…"

TK's smile didn't change. "Yep. With Astra."

Tai blinked. Now there was a name. Now this was real. Now this involved a relative stranger. Now the alarm bells clanged.

He forced his voice to stay measured. "Kari's… on a date… with Torajiro…"

"Yeah, don't know where they went," TK answered, this time not turning around.

Tai looked over to Davis, idling at his station fifteen feet away. No chance he wouldn't have heard this conversation. Tai assumed there would be no chance of him not reacting to it with worry or outrage. But no, Davis said nothing, his clenched jaw perhaps the only sign of a reaction. Even then it seemed to be concealing a smile.

TK half-turned to the neighboring station. "Hey Thomas, where's Yolei again?"

"She and Takato are helping some Kiwimon with a meat apple harvest," answered Thomas, not looking away from the data filling his screen.

"She's not doing it very quietly."

Tai paused, the sudden change of subject throwing him off. He didn't want to come across as the over-protective big brother, but with her whereabouts unknown, her company unknown, and his intentions open, this didn't sit well at all.

He tapped on TK's shoulder one last time. "Well, don't you think we should make sure they're okay?"

"Who, Yolei?"

"No, Kari! We don't know if they're going somewhere dangerous, or what Torajiro's capable of."

"His Appmon reached something called God grade, which I have to assume is pretty strong," Thomas replied. It wasn't what Tai meant, but he was in no mood to clarify.

"Thinking of putting him on response?" asked TK.

Thomas smiled. "On a part-time basis, yes. At least to replace Sora."

"TK, maybe you should check on them," Tai insisted.

TK shook his head, trying to dial down his smug grin. "I dunno. This mission Yolei and Takato are on sounds awfully important."

With a huff, Tai turned to his lieutenant. "Davis? Aren't you worried?"

Davis shrugged. "I had to go out yesterday. I just wanna stay here and get some work done." He clicked his mouse. "Plus I only gotta flag three more mines to win."

Tai darted his eyes between TK and Davis. Neither were at all worried about the situation, which only made Tai feel more conflicted. If they weren't bothered, he shouldn't be. But he couldn't shake knowing his sister was out somewhere doing something with somebody he barely knew. Rendered powerless, he trudged back to his desk and tried to concentrate on coming up with solutions for the new settlement. He already knew this would be impossible.

* * *

Kari Kamiya could barely fathom what had hit her. To her minimal understanding, entirely based on conversations with Mimi and Yolei, dating in the Digital World came in two flavors. One involved heading off to some scenic location in the Digital World for some conversation, maybe a packed lunch, and the privacy to do whatever fit their fancy. The second involved racing through the pretext as fast as possible and jumping into bed… or whichever corner of the castle was convenient. Kari wouldn't tolerate the latter and doubted Astra would find anything "groovy" in such a crude ritual. What he came up with instead smashed the paradigm entirely.

Instead of some beautiful vista, he first led her to an underground cave, with an entrance so narrow they had to crawl. She fretted for the condition of one of her nicest dresses on the other side, but it was too dark to survey the damage. Rather than respond to her worry and protest, Astra led her and Gatomon through the dark and into cushioned seats. These were upholstered, not natural, and Kari's extended enough to fit another.

"Get ready for this!" Once beside her, he squeezed her hand, causing a rush to make her almost as giddy as him.

"Wait, I don't see Musimon." Gatomon said. Kari was envious she could see anything.

"You mean Mediamon!" he shouted from behind them. "It's showtime, yo!"

A screen in front of them lit up to show a woman walking her dog through a city park, with fountains, trees, and most importantly the attractive young man she was about to have a cute run-in with.

"A movie?" Kari turned to Astra, craning her neck to glance at Mediamon. "He can show movies?"

"Him and Dogamon actually." Astra offered a bucket of popcorn. She had no idea where it came from. "And it's way better than a movie."

She looked back at the screen. The couple were now on a rooftop at night, the woman making a passionate speech. Kari somehow felt her fire, and clapped when the man interrupted her with a kiss. She couldn't have explained the story or who these people were, and wasn't sure if that was her fault or the movie's, but the pictures somehow bypassed her brain and went straight for the heart. The next thing she knew she was laughing at their fumbling efforts to ice skate.

In the span of half an hour, Mediamon and Dogamon had conjured a complete movie experience, carrying Kari swiftly from emotion to emotion with little time to breathe. She cried when they broke up over an unlucky miscommunication, she worried when the "wrong" woman entered the picture, and she felt elation at the dramatic wedding climax when the two lovers reunited. She didn't know anyone's name.

To top it off, the light from the screen reflected through the cave and onto crystals in the wall. They sparkled in the light, filling the once frightening chamber with flashes of blues and greens, dancing around the room to the motion of the images. The elegance combined with the emotional thrill ride overwhelmed Kari's senses, enough that she had to clutch Astra's arm to keep from floating away. "This is beautiful," she whispered through tears.

He just admired the view with a grin. "Man, I didn't even expect this. But it's so groovy!"

To her, it was even more than that.

Leaving the cave was just as inconvenient, but the warmth of the daylight on the other side rewarded her struggle. Kari basked in the sun, drying whatever moisture she had picked up from the cave air or the crawl out of it. She didn't see Musimon scurry up the cliff face behind them.

In fact, she thought it was over: "That was a pretty incredible date."

"Oh, we're just getting started!" Astra pointed to the cliff, and the set of ropes and harnesses Musimon had released. "Going up!"

"What?!" He ignored her protests, running over to strap himself in and feeling the cliff for initial footholds. "I can't climb that!"

"It's not as hard as it looks! There's places to grab everywhere!" He found one after another, scurrying up ten feet in less than a minute. "See! Just follow my lead!"

Her next argument would have been doing all this in a dress, but as Astra got more of a head start, she realized that was an objection for the sake of objecting. She didn't care that much, and he was making it look easy. Having seen enough of him, she guessed he wasn't in any better shape than her. Shaking her head, she evolved Gatomon for added safety and let Musimon strap her in.

She climbed slower than Astra, but she didn't have trouble spying handholds, and the cliff wasn't as vertical as it appeared, sloping enough in places to scramble up without requiring too much grip. While her shoes were hardly appropriate for athletic activity, she was at least grateful she chose flats. Kari watched Astra ease to the right, tumbling over a ridge halfway up. She followed, occasionally running into trouble as the face grew more demanding and her limbs started to tire, but she persevered and accepted his hands to pull her up to a safe landing. From there it was a steep but manageable hike to the top.

Although her body ached and she needed to sit, the view more than made up for it. The plains to the north stretched all the way to the horizon, the solitary train track running up to infinity. The effort she put into claiming this lookout made it all the more rewarding. Astra handed her a bottle of water and sat with her, silent but for his satisfied grin.

"Wow…" she mumbled, her voice hushed. "…I can only imagine what's next."

"Ready when you are. But you want to rest up first!"

He gave her plenty of time, at one point leaving to check on something behind her. In the meantime, Angewomon flew Musimon up to join them. Reverting to Gatomon, she joined her partner, accepting her strokes and marveling at the serenity Kari felt.

Once Kari decided her body and mind were ready for more, she turned around. Astra and Musimon waited with a battery powered stereo.

Musimon posed with his hands and ears. "Here's what's next on the playlist!"

Kari recognized the song immediately: a pop hit she had been addicted to the summer she was pulled in here. She hadn't heard it since. Astra nodded along as his Appmon started bouncing to the rhythm.

She approached with caution, halted by sudden forgotten memories of the song in her headphones and all the teasing looks she drew from Tai and TK as her lips mouthed the words. They moved again now, somehow recalling the lyrics. The song brought her such joy during all the uncertain times, one of her last sources of happiness in the human world. Somehow Astra found it for her.

"H-how?" she mumbled as Astra's swaying grew more exaggerated. He couldn't have as much invested in the song as her. Had he even heard it before?

"I asked Yolei and Mimi what you used to listen to." He looked back at the stereo. "But we're going way past that! Come on, groove with me!"

Her movements started slow, only growing to full dance when Astra coaxed her into the spirit. Even before she was at full speed, she still relished in the music surrounding her. By the end of the song, she was ready for more. The playlist didn't disappoint: another classic from the old days. She even remembered some of the choreography for it. By the end of the song, Astra did too. Gatomon and Musimon even joined in.

His selections proved to be ingenious. The next song wasn't familiar to her, but the band was: a hit from the future she missed out on. Some songs were totally foreign to her, picks from Astra's time he thought she'd like. They didn't all land—some made her feel old in the way she questioned the taste of the next generation—but he timed them to serve as optional breaks she certainly needed. He used them too: no doubt he didn't greet her favorites with total enthusiasm.

For the most part, the dancing was loose, with little coordination or contact between the two. But of course he planned for that too, throwing in a couple ballads to get her in his arms for a proper slow dance. His formal steps weren't organized or graceful, but they were smooth, easing her around their floor, unleashing his own hidden ballroom style. It swept her away, his eyes on her, one hand in hers and the other on her waist. The high was immeasurable. Her stupid crush had led to buried treasure.

Even when they landed back at the castle, she was still flying. She had no idea how she was supposed to end such a perfect date, nor would she make that decision. As they stood alone in the empty courtyard, their monsters retiring to the habitat, she waited, eager yet nervous, to see how Astra would close it out. This was the climactic moment. As close as they had been, not once did he try anything more than a hand on her shoulder or a proper dancing hold. But after a day like that and after all he had shown her, she doubted her capacity to resist anything.

She took his hand, barely able to fetch the words. "Astra I… I haven't had a day like that since…" Had she ever? She couldn't recall anything topping it. The day she met Gatomon had too much baggage attached.

Astra smiled and nodded back. "We are totally doing it again sometime."

"I can't wait."

"Yeah… I bet you'll come up with an even better day."

"Yeah…" She realized what he said and frowned. "Wait, what?"

"Totally! That was my awesome date idea. Now it's your turn!" He rubbed her shoulder. "The way you know this place, you'll have something great in mind!" He dashed for the door, turning around only to shout, "Let me know when you're free!" Just like that, he was gone. Her best day ever: saved, celebrated, and up to her to write the sequel.

That, of course, was impossible. If she could have envisioned a day like that, she would have treated herself to it long ago. Now she was left alone, with a mountain of pressure on her and her suddenly blossoming love life at stake.

She looked around, capable only of mumbling to herself, "What just happened?"

* * *

Rei Katsura watched Izzy tap into the server through his laptop, a long process of negotiation he had little room to stomach. The underground chamber was twenty feet high, but narrow, barely large enough to hold three boys, two Appmon, and the golden, cylindrical trunk holding the server. The sounds of gunfire, sparks, and messy impacts added a sense of urgency. If Izzy felt any of it, he was grace under pressure.

"How important is this?" Haru asked, throwing frequent glances to the hatch above him. "Something tells me Nene's right about the data being useless."

Izzy stayed calm, eyes fixed on his screen. "It's still connecting. No matter what's on it, we can communicate to the server to see where it reaches."

"Tell me if it needs additional persuasion," said Hackmon. "I'll make it talk."

A bell sounded from the laptop. "All right." Izzy opened a folder of files and clicked one at random, an image of a man offering free real estate. "Um…?" He opened more files, all strange images of shocked reactions, calamitous falls, random movie references, and so many cats.

"Oh, I remember these!" Gatchmon threw his nose into the screen and started laughing. "I haven't seen these memes in forever!"

"Memes?" Izzy leaned back to give Gatchmon space. "All that for a bunch of memes?"

Haru looked up to the dump above their heads. "That explains a lot, actually…"

"Well at least we don't have to worry about salvaging this."

Gatchmon looked astonished. "Are you kidding?! Some of these are gold!"

Izzy ignored him. "Well, let's trying sending something through the network."

As a simple test, he used the server's network connection to send a message to Thomas with an attached image from the server itself. He picked one at random over Gatchmon's suggestions. He was not surprised when the message did not go through.

The hatch door swung open and Nene poked her head in. "Boys, you may need to start wrapping up. The building is now on fire."

Panic crossed Haru's face. "How on fire are we talking about?" The explosion beyond Nene answered his question.

"We should get out of here."

Without a word, Izzy shut, disconnected, and packed his laptop. "Are we coming back?" asked Haru.

"It's doubtful," said Izzy, heading to the ladder. "We don't know how safe this place will be and the data has no value."

Neither Haru nor Rei moved as Izzy climbed up the hatch. It was hard to swallow losing their first chance to interface directly with a server. Without seeing the code, Rei didn't know how long he'd need to hack it into submission. Without seeing the fire, he didn't know how long he had. Haru slumped his shoulders, turning back to the trunk.

Both jumped when Gatchmon shouted, "You heard him! If we want to do our thing we need to hurry! Get to hacking!"

Hackmon already was, his tendrils tapping into the server and connecting. Exchanging a look and a nod with Haru, Rei pulled up a screen. He needed a minute to identify code signatures and feel his way around, but there was nothing he didn't recognize.

"What's the holdup?" shouted Nene from above.

"We think we found something!" Haru shouted back. He turned to Rei. "Please find something."

"Double Hack!" Rei commanded. A second screen appeared. Now, through the code, a picture crystallized. "It's not recognizing the network. It routes everything back to itself."

"Can you fix it?"

Rei entered a flurry of commands on his virtual keyboard. The server gave off sparks. Gatchmon pulled his magnifying glass down. "It's still not going through!"

Now Izzy shouted: "While I appreciate your commitment to discovery, it's urgent for us to get out!"

"Come on, come on…" Haru pleaded.

Rei wiped the sweat off his palms and continued to pound keys. The chamber seemed warmer, either from the actual heat radiating from the blaze above or the pressure it introduced. He could sense the cusp of a breakthrough. Just one or two more pieces of errant code would open the floodgates. It was there somewhere in the lines of code flying across his screens. He had to stay vigilant. Blinking was out of the question.

"I'm growing a little worried now. Are you moving?" Rei tuned out Izzy's voice.

"There!" A slam of keystrokes with one hand, echoed by the other, summoned more sparks from the server.

"It's through!" shouted Gatchmon "It's fuzzy but everything's moving! Look at all those memes!" He laughed. "They're going viral!"

That was enough for Rei. The implications of his achievement didn't matter as much as finishing the puzzle. The screens in front of him disappeared and he turned to the ladder.

Haru didn't follow. "Hold on…" He remained focused on the server. "That only distributes this one server, right?"

"Right…"

"So all that for some silly memes?"

Rei glowered, trying to find something encouraging to say. "Now I know how to do it. Once we reach other servers…"

Izzy shouted again: "We just lost one escape route! This is critical!"

It wasn't for Haru. Nothing above them mattered. He was deep in thought and nothing short of the ceiling caving in would disrupt him. Rei held the ladder rung, but didn't dare climb it.

"Gatchmon, you can see the edits Rei made?" Haru asked, voice quiet and calm.

"Uh… yeah," answered his buddy.

"Could you make those changes on other servers?"

"I mean if I knew where they were…"

Haru nodded, and with more force in his voice commanded, "Appmon chip- ready!"

Rei was mesmerized. Directly below the hatch, Rei could hear the roaring fire and smell the warping metal. Yet there was Haru ordering his Appdrive to realize Globemon into the chamber. The Ultimate grade Appmon wasted no time scanning the entire Digital World for every hidden server. Around him, a virtual map of the world appeared, pinholes of light popping up in droves across every corner. Vast deserts, impassable mountains, and even the bottom of the oceans revealed their treasures. Within a minute, every one was in Globemon's grasp.

Not that they had the minute to spare. Izzy descended the ladder in a fit of coughing. He gasped for air once he reached the bottom before the scolding began. "What are you doing down here?"

"You three are free to leave," Rei muttered.

"Zoe's out already. Nene…" Izzy looked up with concern. "Whatever you're doing, it isn't worth it. We're in serious trouble right now!"

"Rewriting now!" Globemon shouted. The lights surrounding him began changing from white to green. The sight of it hushed Izzy. Haru never turned around, fixated on the display.

"Any chance you can go faster?" Rei called out. Globemon didn't respond, keeping his pace of flipping a couple servers every second. At the rate he was going, it would take minutes.

"Do you need more?" Haru mumbled to an unknown target. Rei almost spoke up in response, but Globemon, despite being lost commanding the entire network, let out a solemn nod.

The tinny, robotic voice within the red Appdrive sounded: "Touch… touch…" Haru took a deep breath and jammed his finger onto the appropriate receptor. He winced as his energy gave Globemon more processing power. His speed doubled, then tripled, then within thirty seconds the entire field had been transformed.

"Time to go," said Hackmon. Globemon didn't wait for confirmation, snapping out of his trance in time to catch Haru as he fainted.

Izzy was still in awe. "What was that, what were you doing?"

"No time," Rei barked, already scaling the ladder. Hackmon jumped on his shoulder. Globemon flew up behind him, carrying his dazed Appdriver.

"You should take a deep breath before you get up there," Izzy warned. Rei didn't bother as he pushed the hatch door open.

Black smoke engulfed the whole interior. Other than the hazy, flickering orange glow on three sides, the only shape he could make out was Nene on her knees, struggling for air, Kabuterimon watching over her, helpless. Rei covered his mouth, the smoke attacking his lungs the moment he surfaced, as it did to Haru and Izzy when they followed.

"How do we get out?" Haru moaned weakly.

Globemon scanned the room. "No route found." Izzy cast him a stern look.

Coughing the whole time, Rei crawled in the only direction without fire, only to hit the cement wall.

"You can't get out that way," said Kabuterimon.

But Rei knew better: "Appmon chip- ready." He realized Hackmon's next form. Raidramon landed, his tendrils shooting into the wall. At Rei's command, the blocks of the wall shuffled back and separated, creating a doorway to the bright afternoon sky and the trash piles awaiting them. Izzy and Kabuterimon stared at the feat for far too long. "Come on," Rei beckoned.

Haru and Nene needed assistance, but everyone scurried out. Once safe, they all inhaled the rank, nauseating garbage fumes as if it was crisp mountain air. If anything, the nasty odor revived them.

"Izzy!" Zoe ran around the building, saw everyone safely out of the building, and rushed to hug him. "You got out!" She was too close for him to stammer a coherent reply. Still clutching him, she turned to Rei. "Seriously, what was the holdup?"

Rei folded his arms. "Everyone got out, didn't they?"

"Well yeah…" Zoe looked over her shoulder. "…unfortunately."

Kumamon followed Zoe around the corner, saw her hug with Izzy and ran to join it, wrapping his paws around her stomach. "Just can't get rid of you, huh?" she muttered.

"Like a moth to a lamp." He nuzzled her back. "Do want…"

"Okay, that's it!" she shouted, shoving Izzy forward so she could throw his paws off her. Spinning on a planted foot, she kicked Kumamon back through the open wall.

Raidramon closed it behind him, trapping the bear inside. As it did, he got up, noting both the encroaching fire and his own melting body. He stared back, straight-faced, and said "this is fine" as the wall sealed shut.

"Zoe… um…" Izzy's blush only grew.

"What?" A weary Nene answered a call on her Fusion Loader. Nobody else heard the conversation, but she nodded and said, "I don't know anything about that but I'll find out."

Izzy and Zoe helped her to her feet, where she asked, "Izzy, Thomas wants to know both why and how you just emailed him a picture of a baby pumping his fist."

His eyes widened. "It went through? How did it-" He turned to Rei and Haru. Rei stared back, committed to their choices in the chamber and confident in his Appmon's power. Haru, on his knees and sapped of all energy, smiled and pumped a fist.

* * *

Angie Hinomoto wanted to strangle whoever approved the idea to let the internationals have full run of the castle. She was positive Command reasoned a longer line for meals and a few extra bodies in the bath was a reasonable sacrifice to avoid a full-on humanitarian crisis. What they failed to consider was that 200 more digidestined meant 200 more Digimon. Everyone stopping by to eat or bathe often did so by using the habitat like a drop-in daycare. At peak times, it meant utter chaos for her and Kenta to manage.

"It's okay! You can come down! Nobody's going to fight you! It was just a misunderstanding!" Angie had to recite this almost daily since falling back down here. This time was especially nervy, speaking to an Airdramon cowering in a corner of the ceiling. While she needed to coax it back down before Tatum returned, she didn't trust the flying snake not to lash out and bite her head off. After the Woodmon stepped on its tail and it chipped a tooth biting back in response, it wasn't in the friendliest of moods.

"Just leave it until its partner gets back," said Kenta, pulling her away. She let him: they had too many other things to contend with.

Or maybe they wouldn't contend with anything. Kenta led her to the back, leaving the crowded habitat to the horde of monsters. "It's their place now. We'll go back out when it quiets down."

"Think they'll be okay out there?" Angie asked, watching the throng through a one-way mirror.

"I'm okay letting them sort themselves out." Kenta fell into a chair. "Bad enough we're going to have to clean up the mess they leave."

Angie was not okay with inaction, but was too exasperated to find the motivation to restore order. She couldn't pull herself away from the mirror and the insanity on the other end. That was the only thing worse than watching the mob trample over everything. With no Digimon of her own, she was powerless in these situations, a feeling she was accustomed to, to her dismay.

Squeezing past everybody, Patamon flew to the door and tapped it with his tiny paws. "Angie! Angie!"

She opened the door to let him in but with admonishment: "Patamon, you know we're not supposed to let you guys in here."

"I figured it's okay because I'm small and cute." He smiled back. "And TK wanted me to ask you something."

"If he wants a date, he can get rejected in person."

"Oh, no no no! He's seeing someone. That's why he wants to know if you want to go back upstairs and help back up him and Kari."

She lashed forward, eyes narrowing. "He wants me to go back up there and do his job while he sneaks off to make out with some girl?!" Patamon only chuckled nervously. "After the way they treated me?! Forget it!"

"Aw, okay, I'll let him know." Patamon kept flapping in place, eying the window. "I hope it's okay if I stick around though. It's scary out there."

Angie didn't answer. She sunk into a chair next to Kenta, folding her arms and pouting. She had to concede that being upstairs sounded a lot better than being stuck in the habitat. It was cleaner, quieter, less demanding, and she felt like she was a part of the big action. That was her ideal place… if only her path forward hadn't been scorched by kneejerk reactions and shortsighted thinking.

"Hey, Angie?" She only glanced at Kenta. His voice was soft, one that shouldn't come out of such commotion. "Thanks for coming back. Not that we're handling this or anything, but I'd be hopeless without you around."

She choked up before she could respond. Was it so bad that one little show of gratitude could mean so much? Eyes slammed shut, she answered, "Thanks. I… it's nice to hear that."

The back door creaking open killed off any chance for peace. Few others had access and nobody barged in unannounced. Nobody except Airu, at least, who sneered at the room's conditions before gingerly stepping around the wet concrete floor.

Angie grumbled to herself but stood firm to greet the hunter with the appropriate degree of disgust. "What the hell are you doing here?" She looked back and held a hand in front of their company. "You better not be thinking about hunting Patamon."

Airu scoffed. "I have no interest in Patamon." She glanced aside. "Not after last time…" With a cough, she returned to the conversation. "I'm supposed to be checking your water filter."

"Aw, thank goodness," said Kenta, hopping to his feet and gesturing for her to follow him. "I'll show you where it is."

At first, Angie let her pass. She couldn't process it. Airu Suzaki handling the habitat's vital infrastructure? Who thought that was a good idea? "Hold on!" Kenta and Airu turned around at her outburst. "We're supposed to let you mess with their water?"

Airu's hands slid around her bag to find her hips. "Yes, because JP's making me," she huffed. "Why else would I be stuck here with a nothing like you? I see all your friends left you for the other castle."

"Hey, that's not fair…" Despite the sincerity, Kenta's objection had no force.

It still stung, and as it dug into Angie's skin, her snarl made Airu smile. "Get out!" Angie snapped. "I don't know what you're planning, but we've got a hundred Digimon in there who drink that water and I'd be an idiot to let you touch it!"

With nothing more than a haughty huff, Airu reached into her bag and pulled out a clipboard. "Okay, sign here."

"Why?" Angie took the pen, scanning the form.

"Means it's okay I didn't do it. JP will get around to it whenever."

She signed it right away, shoving the clipboard back to Airu. "There. Now leave them alone."

Airu checked the signature before shoving it in her bag, retaining a smirk. "Ang'… never change." She stepped past them and strolled out with confidence, save for the nervous glances as Patamon as she passed him.

Patamon flapped back to Angie, sinking into a chair and stewing over the exchange. "Is everything okay?" he asked, nestling on her head.

She found his weight awkward. "No. Not at all."

* * *

Haru Shinkai closed his eyes and waited for Koji's lecture to end: "That was stupid. Doesn't matter what you were trying to do or what you found down there, that was too far. Don't cut it so damn close next time. Last thing we need here is another idiot who thinks he's invincible. We already got Takuya and Mikey, and they learned their lesson. You better learn yours."

He didn't argue. He didn't try to defend himself. He just nodded at the right points in Koji's speech and delivered his apology when given a chance: "I'm sorry. Next time my team says we need to leave, we'll leave."

The conversation wasn't necessary. Haru knew he and Rei gambled too much and put the team in unnecessary danger. The close call was unnerving enough, and he already had the awkward conversations with Nene and Zoe, sensing a lack of trust from both. This was not a situation he intended to repeat, and all he could do was stress that to both his teammates and superiors.

More than anything he was grateful the gamble paid off and nobody got hurt. Failing either of the two would have led to actual regret.

Izzy didn't say much, answering Koji's questions honestly and insisting the team would function better next time. His words were damning, but given the severity of the situation Haru knew he could have said far worse. In the end, everybody was safe, the team was still intact, and nobody faced any punishment past the scolding.

Koji got sick of berating Haru soon enough and let them both leave. Both took deep breaths once out of the meeting room. "Honestly, I anticipated worse," said Izzy.

Haru joined him down the hallway. "I'm surprised Takuya wasn't involved."

"Going off my experience when I was an officer, I'd say Takuya may have insisted on letting this slide. Both because he's more comfortable with risk, and to avoid creating the impression he's over-protective of Zoe." Haru raised an eyebrow, so Izzy added, "Those three used to be on the same team."

With a bright smile, Haru said, "Either way, I won't let that happen again. I'm glad everyone's so forgiving here!"

Izzy smiled back. "As irresponsible as it was, I'd be lying if I said my research hasn't gotten us into a few scrapes as well."

Downstairs, they reached the long row of rooms serving as barracks. Izzy stopped in front of his room. So did Haru. "Hey Izzy… is it all right if I borrowed your laptop?"

Izzy stared at the door vacantly, clutching the handle but not pushing it open. "My… laptop? Why would you need it?"

Haru fidgeted. He wasn't ready to entrust everything to Izzy, but how much would be necessary to see progress?

Very little, it turned out, as Izzy smirked. "You want to see the fruits of your effort, don't you?" He threw the door open. Matt hunched over Izzy's desk, staring at the computer screen and a website of music reviews. "Looking for something?" Izzy asked.

Matt stood up straight, eyes everywhere but Izzy. "Just seeing if it really worked," he mumbled. "I need to get going." He acknowledging Haru with a nod on his way out.

Haru snickered. "Bye Matt." He stepped into the room. "Matt's very, um…"

"Surprisingly not furious about you endangering Nene," said Izzy, facing his laptop. "Anyway… it's very slow. I'm not sure how many users we want interfacing it. And we're only accessing static snapshots instead of the dynamic information you'd be used to. But the important thing is… it works."

The screen showed a webpage of search results listing reviews for some band called Knife of Day. Some of the ad banners and modules reported back errors, but the content was there. The internet was there. The first step was complete.

"Can I check something real quick?" Haru asked.

Izzy huffed. "Seeing as how Matt was already snooping around on it, I don't see the harm."

Despite not being as familiar with the Pineapple operating system, Haru figured out how to open a private browser window. He sensed Izzy's eyes on him the whole time, but that couldn't deter him from searching for his precious file. The real pressure came in remembering both the location and his access to it. He had kept a backup on the cloud, but he needed not only the right service, but his account name and password. A password reset email or text message verification wouldn't go through here. He found the right address and trusted in his account name. Now he had to close his eyes and remember his password.

It took the reminder of his fight, what all this was for, to recall it. Yuujin guided him there, and once Haru recalled it his fingers recited it on the keyboard like a perfected piano piece: "YJ4soccer2"

There it was, unlocked, the pages and pages of letters and numbers appearing before him. All complex code incorporating various languages, most of which Haru only had a rudimentary grasp of, but intimate and meaningful to him all the same. He scrolled through, seeing strings of commands but hearing a symphony.

"YJ-20?" Izzy asked, peering over Haru's shoulder. Jolted out of his daydream, his reflexes kicked in, closing the window and slamming the laptop shut. Even hearing someone else use the code for Yuujin's updated file scared him. The coding was Yuujin at his most naked, inappropriate for anyone's eyes. Haru only viewed it as a necessity; he hated thinking of him as anything less than human. Besides, as Rei said, nobody could know about the project, even someone as curious and seemingly understanding as Izzy.

"Yep!" Haru's hand found his neck. "Just wanted to see if it was still there!"

"I didn't recognize the language but it looked complex. We should trade notes sometime."

"Uh, yeah!" Already Haru struggled to pretend. He had just glimpsed Yuujin. In code form, on someone else's computer, and surely gone now, but real. The swell of hope expanded too much for him to continue the conversation. "Well, talk to you later!" he blurted, rushing out of Izzy's room.

He turned into the restroom, grateful to find it empty so he could gush in the open rather than a private stall. No matter how fleeting the visit, he had tangible proof Yuujin's data existed here. He and Rei hadn't thought out the next step, but only because this one wasn't supposed to be completed so quickly. No matter what challenges they'd face next, they'd already overcome the biggest. They made it possible.

With the room to himself, Haru already found it impossible not to share the blessings with someone. He knew exactly who needed to hear it and realized him. Offmon looked around warily, the new unfamiliar environment causing instant distress.

"Don't worry, we're safe in here! This is our new home!" Haru's calming tone settled the pup. "And I just saw Yuujin." He choked up. "He's here too. We just need to make a place for him."

Offmon's eyes lit up and teared up at once. "Yuujin's here?" he squeaked. "That's good because I found something."

"Found something?" Haru's bliss couldn't keep away the confusion at Offmon finding something despite being in his chip for all but a few minutes since their arrival.

He reached into his hat and pulled out Yuujin's yellow Appdrive. "I don't know where it came from or how I got it." He handed it over. "But it's here now."

Haru's eyes widened as he took it. This was another sign. As impossible as it sounded at one point, and for all the work they had left to do, now he had no more doubts: Yuujin Oozora would return.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 7:** **"Here I Am Alive"**  
Tagiru's team discovers a new danger... and new opportunities for glory. Eri wishes for an active role in the new settlement planning. Kari enlists Davis's help to create the perfect second date.

" _You know what I'm capable of! You just saw it!"_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Given the amount of data the servers contain, it shapes the space around it into a homogeneous area similar to the zones in Fusion, like the printing house over the news server in episode one or the garbage heaps over the meme trash server here. I cut Izzy's long-winded explanation of all this to reduce length and because the concept isn't that relevant to the plot. It's a bit of world building I'm proud of, but a darling that had to be killed.

For your further research, here's a list of all the memes referenced: Kuma-san/Pedobear, Dat Boi, One Does Not Simply Walk Into Mordor, Doge, It Was Me Dio, It's a Trap, Winter is Coming, Neil deGrasse Tyson reaction, Garbage Day, Hey How You Doin', It's Free Real Estate, Moth Lamp, Do/Do Not Want, This is Fine, and Success Kid. Also I'm sorry.

Once of the mixed blessings of Appmon is how vague the show is about just what each Appmon is capable of outside of attacks. We might be stretching a bit with Mediamon's power, but he does have the ability to evoke emotions from movie-like experiences, so let's run with that for Kari's sake.

Pretty obvious reference, but in Hunters, Airu attempts to hunt a Patamon with disastrous results.


	7. Here I Am Alive

**Author** **'s Note**  
And back to the lab we go. Naturally, we'll make it a nice and ominous way to close out the block. Back with four more chapters as soon as they're finished. Once again, I'm hoping they'll be done sooner since the only heavy action is in episode eight.

 **Nexusworld**

 _If I could write to myself when I was on top of it all,_  
 _I_ _'d say you're going overboard and when you're falling you're gonna feel so small._  
 _Someone's gonna tell you that you deserve the worst._  
 _They'll say you're never coming back and tell you that you're cursed._  
 _And when they give up—and they always give up—say "here I am alive."_  
 _\- Yellowcard,_ _"Here I Am Alive"_

 **Episode 7**

Tagiru Akashi couldn't bear another afternoon of hiking. The idea of being on a field team sounded so appealing he jumped at it without considering how grueling it would actually be. They had been out for days, almost every hour of daylight spent covering as much ground as they could, investigating suspicious pockets for enemies plotting an ambush, and checking in on the small camps of hardy Digimon toughing it out in what was presumed to be hostile territory. He expected to be raiding evil forces and protecting innocent lives on the hour. Thus far they hadn't been in a single fight.

"You guys have fun. I'm pooped," said Gumdramon, popping into Tagiru's Fusion Loader before anyone could protest.

"That's fine," Shoutmon responded. "Some of us aren't tough enough for these kinds of long trips."

"That's not working on me this time!"

Tagiru grinned at his partner's sass, wishing he could join him. "Is anything gonna to happen? I'm so bored!"

"We're better off not finding anything than running into trouble all the time," said Mikey.

"Says who? I want to fight something!"

"Yeah, call me when there's something to hunt!" added Gumdramon.

Mikey shook his head, a grimace of frustration forming. "We're here to make sure nothing nearby's getting the jump on us. There's bad stuff out here. The farther away, the better."

Shoutmon nodded. "Far as I'm concerned, this place is looking great. No fighting… no bandits…"

"No nothing." Christopher kept his arms folded as he trailed the group. "It's empty. It shouldn't be this empty. Not this far out."

"Hey, as much trouble as we've gotten, I'll take a little peace and quiet."

"I'm with Chris!" shouted Tagiru. "Where's all the action?!"

"Tagiru…" The mentor turned on his disapproving tone. "We can't hope for random fighting. Digimon really get hurt here."

"Can't believe I'm saying it, but I agree with Tagiru," said Christopher, ignoring Tagiru's grin. "Nothing wrong with a little skirmish here or there. It's a sign of life. And that it's not afraid of coming out of its holes."

"Still, we're not here to cause trouble."

"Don't have to. It comes to us." Christopher's voice rose, not to the point of shouting, but doubling down on the usual edge in his voice. "You know how many times we had to defend Isthmian from some attack? Once a month, at least."

"They attacked the castle?! That's so cool!" Tagiru exclaimed. "And you all had to protect it?"

"Nah, just my team and the old man was enough. But where do you think they run after we beat them? They should all be taking pot shots at us right now."

Mikey checked their surroundings. The mountain pass offered plenty of cliffs and bends ripe for sniper nests or sneak attacks. Yet they cleared it with no trouble. Now hushed, he asked, "So where'd they go?"

"Either they ran… or they hid… or they died." Christopher scanned the surroundings. "Question is from what."

The question continued to hang over them as the march continued. They cleared the pass and found a cave overlooking the rolling fields beyond the range. By now they were miles past the castle, leading them to wonder if it was worth it to push further or declare the job done and return home. Mikey wanted to know how far their buffer zone lasted. Christopher didn't want to find out what was on the other end of it. Tagiru just wanted something memorable from the trip.

The discussion lasted into nightfall, enough uncertainty overhead to keep it from getting too heated. They all agreed the mouth of the cave was an ideal place to camp for the night. Over dinner, Tagiru spent more time staring at the dark depths than the bright starlit sky. Outside was dead and boring, but the darkness had possibilities.

"Think someone lives down there?" he asked the group.

"Way this trip's been, probably not," Christopher replied. "Either way, I don't want to find out."

"What if it's a Digimon?!"

"Then I definitely don't want to find out."

Shoutmon stormed in, slamming a deck of playing cards in the middle of their circle. "Whatever. If it's cool with us crashing here, we'll leave it alone. Now are we going to play or are you guys chickening out after last night?"

Tagiru refused to back down from the challenge. The others had only taught him poker at the start of the trip. Christopher had picked it up in America and the elements of strategy, bluffing, and dramatic showdowns appealed to Mikey. This left Tagiru horribly outmatched, but he played with relentless enthusiasm.

His hardest decision of the night ended up being against his own partner. On the verge of elimination, he stared straight across the circle at Gumdramon's usual confident grin sticking out like a Cheshire cat's against the colorless backdrop of the cave entrance. "C'mon, Tagiru, call or fold. What'll it be?" His inability to read his own partner frustrated him to no end.

Behind Gumdramon, dull flickers of light flashed against the darkness. They flashed again, this time a little brighter, but fading to black. "What was that?!" Tagiru shouted, pointing.

Gumdramon snickered. "Scared to go all in, huh?"

"I'm serious! Something's going on back there."

"Tagiru." Mikey groaned, but obliged a look. "There's nothing going…" It happened again. Mikey shot to his feet and eased to his bag for a flashlight. "Let's check it out."

Christopher and Shoutmon followed suit. Gumdramon moaned, "Can't we finish this hand?"

"I fold!" shouted Tagiru.

"Dammit!"

The sparks stopped once the flashlights came on. They eased through the cave, searching for possible sources, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Even Tagiru began to wonder if his eyes were tricking him.

"I bet when we get home Izzy or someone will tell us all about the optical illusion that causes this," Shoutmon mumbled.

He turned around; the sparks picked up again, all at once, now surrounding them, flashing on and off in a big circle.

"Ghosts!" Tagiru screamed, unclasping his Fusion Loader and holding it up in self-defense.

Mikey shined a flashlight on the sparks. Below them, a circle of little metallic insects, half beetle, half stun gun, produced the little flashes of electricity between their electrodes. The one in the light pleaded, "Can you help us?"

"Help you?" Mikey asked, holding up a hand to keep anyone from attacking. "Why do you need help?"

"And who are you?" Christopher added.

"They're Kokuwamon!" Tagiru shouted, his Fusion Loader pulling up the holographic information. "Sweet!"

"We're so hungry," said the Kokuwamon. "Those flashlights have batteries… right?" They sensed salivating.

"Yeah, but we need them," said Mikey. "But I have a better idea!"

He reloaded Ballistamon, who offered to lend some of his energy to the eight Kokuwamon. They were gracious, but swarmed him, tripping over each other, desperate to feed on the electricity stored inside.

"What are a bunch of Kokuwamon doing in here?" asked Shoutmon. "Shouldn't you be in a factory or something? Sure ain't any food for you here."

"We had to flee our home," said the beetle. "The fighting was too intense. We barely made it out alive, but we've had almost nothing to eat since."

"Where did you come from? And who was fighting?" asked Mikey.

"Across the hills. We don't know how far. We just ran until we reached these mountains."

A second added, "We should have known something would happen. Marsmon demanded the strongest Digimon join his army. That was on top of his usual tributes. He didn't want us, but it was a warning."

"Forced to join an army? Tributes?" Shoutmon shook his head. "This guy sounds like bad news."

"Living under his rule is brutal. You should get out of here before he realizes you're here or you'll be in serious danger."

"No way!" Tagiru clenched a fist. "We won't just stand by and let them boss you around. Right?" He looked to Mikey for validation. All he got was a reluctant nod.

"You're too late. The factory was already… liberated. We don't know if any of the other Digimon survived."

Mikey stopped nodding, his eyes wide as he leaned in. "Someone attacked you?" he asked. "Who was it?"

All of the Kokuwamon lowered their heads. One finally mumbled, "The D-Brigade."

* * *

Rei Katsura wasn't ready to be on the next phase already. He and Haru had their proof of concept: they could connect to the internet back home and witnessed Yuujin's data first hand. Everything was lined up for them to introduce him into this world. Their plan of attack to accomplish this still had to be written.

As much as Haru enjoyed completing the crucial first step, Rei barely reacted. It was a pleasant surprise, but only one tick off the checklist. Rei emphasized the big picture, refusing to lose sight for the sake of minor victories. Furthermore, Rei didn't actually witness Yuujin's data, nor was he bound to get as emotional over it the way Haru did. As his cohort dreamed of a fated reunion, Rei dug deeper to figure out how to make it reality.

He still let Haru have his moment. This part was faster than expected, but who knew when they'd hit the next milestone, or even what that constituted. Plus he reasoned laying low for a couple days after nearly getting the rest of their team killed was sound strategy.

Finally, after nights of reading a sci-fi novel that, while featuring sentient androids, had little practical value, Haru set his book on his desk, turned to the bed on the other end of the room, and asked, "Rei, are you still up?"

"You haven't turned the light off." Rei answered, his back to Haru and the offending lamp.

"We know we can get Yuujin's data. How do we actually do it? I can't steal Izzy's laptop."

Rei sat up. He'd been ready for this conversation for a while. Sleep could wait. "That's only part of the larger problem."

"It's almost like we need a whole facility." Haru stroked his chin. "Resources… that's why I asked for Tai's support to begin with."

"You know we need to be underhanded, right? If you insist on following the rules, give up now."

Haru stared forward, deep in thought for a while before exhaling. "As long as nobody gets hurt. We can't have a repeat of last time." Another breath, then he added, "What did you have in mind?"

"One option is stealing Izzy's laptop."

"I told you I can't steal Izzy's laptop!"

"It's the only one here. All the other machines are desktops."

Haru shook his head. "Is there a way we could get another one in here? We'll need more than that anyway."

Rei nodded in concession. It was hard to envision a scenario where they wouldn't need discrete access to river shipments. The hospitality team managed those. "How strong do you suppose Ryouma's password is?"

"For the river stuff? I don't know… probably pretty good. From what Tagiru told me about him, I bet he has trust issues. He's kind of a wild card." Haru turned to Rei. "Someone like him, it could be just as likely he makes everything hard for us as it is he just gives us access."

"Just giving us access… that would be less prone to error. And we might be able to separate our shipments from the rest of the castle's."

"He's not just going give us access to something like that without knowing what we're planning," Haru moaned.

"He's not…" Rei glanced at his nightstand, and his seven-code band atop it. "Luckily we have friends on the other side."

* * *

Eri Karan was suspicious of downtime. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the occasional day off, and often craved one when her schedule was at its most demanding. But actually getting one was rare, and often led her to wonder what the catch was.

The catch, in this instance, was easy to surmise. The job of working with Command to design the new settlement fell to the international representatives. The job of procuring the necessary furnishings and equipment fell to Meiko. These were Eri's biggest allies, all stuck working throughout the day to craft a plan everyone could be satisfied with. As much as she took the position to its extreme, Eri's job remained the same: keep the masses in good spirits until they could be called upon to help make the plans a reality.

In some regards, she was too successful. Opening the castle to everyone and providing simple recreation broke up the tedium, and now the buzz over what their new home would look like resonated throughout the camp. Everyone she spoke to imagined something a little different, and no doubt shared their vision with their representative. They were nice dreams, but no doubt feasibility, compromise, and bureaucracy would all smear the final product. Whatever came out of all this discussion, Eri would have to rally everybody to support it. She felt entitled to at least know what it looked like.

A long walk with Dokamon and a round of boxing practice didn't help, leaving her on a couch in the library, pondering ways to get a seat at the table. She believed the representatives would strive for the best, but Eri wasn't one for sitting back when she knew she could help. She also knew she rubbed Command the wrong way and couldn't help but suspect an effort to squeeze her out of the process. That couldn't go unpunished.

"Oh, Eri, do you have a second?" Her internal grumbling almost drowned out Koichi's voice. She still struggled to see this soft-spoken boy as her counterpart. "If you're free I wouldn't mind talking to you about something."

She returned a curt nod. "All right."

He sat across from her. "Has anyone brought up Cerealia yet?"

Not only hadn't they, she didn't even understand the word. "Cere… what? Is this something to do with breakfast?"

"No… um, it's a festival we started to thank Ceresmon for providing all the river shipments over the years."

Eri looked away, her nod was slower now. She knew where this was going.

"We do all sorts of events outside. For most of us it's just an excuse to have a big party with music and um…" He coughed. "Anyway, it's going to be more challenging this year with all the new arrivals. We want everybody to participate. So…"

"Eri." Her seven-code band crackled to life with Rei's dull voice. Both she and Koichi stared at it. "Eri?" Rei repeated.

She held up a finger and offered a tiny bow of apology as she answered, "Rei? What's going on?"

"Are you alone right now?" She wasn't sure if she should be concerned. For all she knew he started every call this way.

"It's okay," said Koichi, lowering his head.

Eri grimaced. "Just a moment." She dashed behind a decorative fern, the closest thing to privacy in the lounge area. One drawback of opening the castle was the constant traffic. "Is everything okay?"

"I need a password for the river shipment system."

"What?!" She peeked over her shoulder for onlookers before quieting down. "I can't give you that!"

"It's for Yuujin." The simple reply silenced her. She knew Haru and Rei were trying to find a way to bring him back, and she knew Tai squashed the idea. She didn't know what sort of resources they needed, but it stood to reason they were considerable. Much as she wanted to see Yuujin reborn, and as much as she loved tweaking Tai, giving away access to river orders was a big deal, and incontrovertibly wrong.

"Rei, you know I want to help, but that's…" How could she articulate her predicament? Eri stretched her authority to help the camp, but she didn't break rules. She banked on her integrity to help her ease through any disputes. If Rei's activity got back to her, that was over.

"You can't hack into it yourself?" She figured Rei had far less to lose, especially since secret river shipments were already illicit enough.

"There's too many variables. This is less of a risk. We'll keep you out of it."

She took a deep breath. Rei was good about covering his tracks. And if caught he could easily lie and say he hacked the system. Everyone would believe that. Most importantly, this was about saving the life of a friend and teammate. That had to come before her position.

"I'll give you Jeri's. It's 'lionheart,'" she mumbled, eyes darting in every direction.

Her stomach turned when she didn't hear a response for a few seconds. It didn't improve when his reply was, "That's such a weak password."

"Don't question her password," she said, with more force and volume than she intended. Glancing around, she hushed herself and added, "She didn't have to worry about hackers until you showed up."

He didn't respond, and she didn't trust him to. With a grumble, she added, "I hate this. Just… don't get caught, okay? And bring him back. Bye."

She saw the suspicion on Koichi's face the moment she returned. "What was that about?" he asked.

"Uh… nothing!" Eri squeaked. She was never a convincing liar.

"I heard something about a password…"

"For the other castle. They can't keep anything straight."

Koichi conceded a side nod. "I guess that doesn't surprise me. But-"

"So! Your cereal festival! Fill me in."

"Right… um… Cerealia." He paused to let his suspicion pass. "So we started it last year and, uh… we learned a lot about running these sorts of things outside. I'm sure Nene and Matt would be up for another show." His eyebrows flared. "Oh, and you could do something too, I suppose."

"Naturally," she mumbled. Performing wasn't a problem. Under normal circumstances, she even would have enjoyed helping organize the event. But in the meantime her cohorts planned their life-shaping new settlement, while her friends defied the rules to bring back the dead. Was she really resigned to the providing the entertainment and refreshments?

"Did you get all that?" Koichi asked. They both knew she hadn't. She must have tuned out of his briefing.

"Sorry, I uh…" She was getting too consumed by the broader implications of everything and ignoring her primary duties. Much as she wanted to have her mind on bigger matters, it wasn't fair to Koichi, or anyone banking on this festival for a bit of fun. Eri stood up straight, composed herself and said, "Never mind. Let's do this. When is it?"

"See, that's one of the problems. We imagined it as an April thing but there's no way we'll be ready for that. Until they figure out a timetable for the new settlement, it's hard to pick a date."

"Well, that's…" Eri shook her head in frustration, but soon saw her opportunity. She was going to take charge of this Cerealia festival. In fact, nothing could be more important.

She ended up nodding. "That's perfect."

* * *

Davis Motomiya spent much of his free time at work staring across the row of stations at Kari. Barring internal turmoil, her smile never failed to brighten his attitude. He had learned to read her face pretty well, helpful for being quick to recognize when she needed cheering up. That wasn't quite the case; her eyes weren't weary enough. Still, they had a tendency to lose focus, and her fingers weren't as sharp on the keyboard as usual. Her mind was somewhere else.

This was a confusing development for someone who had experienced what many quickly heralded as a game-changing date. The usual gossip over her and Astra's relationship status was typical, but the date itself proved to be the big topic. Davis alone had heard several conversations about the bar being raised, including plenty from would-be players afraid they'd never be able to reach that level. For all that, he expected Kari to still be in heaven. After all, her account of it started all the hoopla.

The mystery was worth probing. At the end of the day, he caught her alone and asked, "So sounds like everything's going great with Astra."

"Um, yeah!" He could tell her smile was fake. "We just got the Odaiba Day video done. And yes, he toned it down."

Davis grinned, raising an eyebrow. "No, you know what I mean. When do I gotta run interference on Tai?"

"Oh, don't worry about Tai. When I told him how the date went, he was so impressed he didn't have a problem with us."

"Seriously?" Keeping the over-protective big brother at bay was half the fun. Without that, Davis was alone on the sidelines.

His smile must have fallen, because Kari asked, "What's wrong? You're not…" She blinked. "You're not weird about this, right?"

"What? No, I'm fine!" He was too exuberant; she'd sniff out that lie. Settling down, he added, "But you don't seem all that excited."

After a moment of hesitation, she scratched her shoulder. "I am, it's just… Tora wants me to plan the next one."

"So what's the big deal?"

"Davis, you know what he did! He went all out! How am I supposed to compete with that?"

He couldn't help but snicker, much to her frustration. "Kari, how can you be this cute?!"

"It's not funny! I'm new at this! After what he did for me I feel like I'm going to bore him to death."

Setting a hand on her shoulder, still smiling, he said, "Hey, you like him, right?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"Oh I know you do. And he likes you?"

"I…" She turned away, eyes narrowing. "…I assume so."

"C'mon, he treated you to all that! Nobody just does that for fun."

"Well, uh…"

"Kari, it's you! Of course he likes you! You just have to find a thing that's you. He'll be into that!"

"Yeah, that's what Mimi said." Kari huffed, "…after I asked her for ideas."

"Got anything?"

"Uh… maybe he'd like heading down to the waterfall?"

"Whoa, what?!" The astonishment on his face was obvious, but he wasn't sure if his slight grin was more being incredulous than reacting to the kind of images in his head. With a chuckle, he explained, "There's only one reason anyone takes a date to the waterfall, Kari. You maybe don't want to go there."

"What do you m…" Her eyes widened, glazing over. "Oh."

"Yep."

"Now I kinda don't want to go down there ever again."

"Aw, it's not that bad. We can still go-"

"What?"

Davis shut up, looking away and scratching his neck.

"Well if that's out, I have nothing." She shook her head. "Thing is, all the things I think would be nice are quiet and I just don't think he'd enjoy that. I want him to have as much fun as I did." Shoulders slumped, she added, "But I guess I'm not that wild."

"Hmm… stuff he'd like…" He chuckled. And then again. He didn't know Astra well enough to know he'd like the ideas popping into his head, but…

Kari interrupted his thinking when she stepped forward and put her hands on his sides. "Davis… would you mind sharing what you're thinking?"

"I mean, uh…" He had every reason to hesitate. But her gentle hands and smile had him trapped. With a sigh, he said, "Anything for you, Kari."

* * *

Kiichi Funabashi and his flying Locomon partner may have been the most useful resource the international digidestined had at their disposal. Thanks to them, visits to the new settlement site were easy and frequent. The undeveloped meadow offered nothing enticing to attackers, but the representatives wanted to maintain a daily presence to assert their claim to it. Nothing permanent, just a rotation of kids shuttling in for a few hours every day. Not only did it keep nosy Digimon from encroaching, it also gave everyone a chance to explore the space and visualize building ideas.

It also provided a perfect cover for Catherine and TK to sneak off together. TK especially appreciated the flair of a pleasant train car floating through the sky. "You guys know how to travel," he said. "For something you use everyday, it's pretty romantic."

"Don't sound so surprised," said Catherine, adding a restrained giggle from the seat across from him. She scooted forward, leaning towards him, her smile suggesting everything. He returned it, ready to meet her…

"Trains always used to look like this!" Kiichi blurted. "You should hear about the coaches they had crossing Europe a hundred years ago!"

TK forced himself to smile back. "I should… but you know who's really interested in this sort of stuff? Patamon."

His partner looked up. "I am?"

"Yeah." TK repeated an insistent nod. "I bet Kiichi will even show you the controls if you ask."

"And Floramon too!" added Catherine.

Kiichi nodded. "Sure, I can show you two the cab if you want!"

"They want," said TK and Catherine in unison.

After some skeptical stares, Floramon waved a stem and said, "Well, I can tell when we're not wanted. Entertain us, Mr. Conductor." She had to scoop Patamon out of the seat as Kiichi led them away.

Catherine snickered. "Much as we love them, they do make dates more complicated."

TK raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so this is a date!"

She sat upright, eyes wide and cheeks red. "Oh, well, I…" TK had to restrain a laugh; it was hard to mistake this for anything else, but he loved catching her off guard. "I mean, don't expect me to rise to Torajiro's level, but…" He had to cover his mouth and turn away.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" He didn't expect her to drop the playfulness and turn sincere all of a sudden. "I guess I shouldn't have brought him up." Turning back to her, her head was down and shaking. "This should be about us."

He sighed. Leaning into an presumed emotion was fun. Watching her scold herself over breaking a perceived taboo wasn't. "Hey, Catherine? It's okay to talk about Kari and Astra. It doesn't bother me as much as you maybe think it does."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You can be honest with me."

"Yeah." He winced. "Why? Does I sound like it does?"

"No, no… I suppose I assumed too much."

His smile flashed back on. "Well if it got us together I'm glad you did."

She looked down, a blush forming again. "That… may have been what I was hoping for."

"That may have been why I played along."

TK waited for her to look up again. He needed to see her eyes, both wanting this to be real and terrified that it was really happening. He wanted to ease her along, playing smooth and guiding her gently forward. That seemed to be the part she wanted him to play.

At the same time, the way she played the shrinking ingenue masked how the opposite was true. In fact, she pushed the buttons. She approached him, using Kari as an excuse to offer emotional support he didn't ask for or need. TK didn't even catch this at first; if not for Davis, he probably would have shut her down for her misplaced intentions.

What confused him was her confidence in making these assumptions about him, even when they weren't true. Aside from one notable misstep, Catherine knew TK more than TK knew Catherine. They had always kept in touch since that Christmas in Paris all those years ago, enough to call themselves friends. But the rare times they did chat were over the forum built for global digidestined, hardly the venue for anything as intimate and personal as his complicated feelings about Kari.

He had to consider the biggest unknown about his relationship with Catherine back home: she had three extra years to experience it. Did something in that span change it?

After Locomon landed and they relieved the two South African digidestined on morning duty, TK found his opportunity setting up their picnic lunch. With Patamon and Floramon playing in the woods, he needed to seize the moment.

"So you know I got here a few years before you did, right?" He hoped unwrapping plates of food on a tablecloth was casual enough for the conversation.

"Quite a few, I understand," she said with a giggle.

"Well… doesn't feel like that many for me." This wasn't a fun topic, but he tried to play it down.

"Yes, yes." Her grin grew. "And we used to think what happened to Davis and them was bad."

"Did we?" TK leaned forward, hands on the cloth. This was a perfect example. He didn't even have all the details of what happened to them, much less how he felt about it at the time. "Because that was after I got here. Did I talk about all that with you?"

Catherine recoiled, her teeth catching her lower lip. "TK, you… talked about everything with me. I suppose I became someone you could confide in when you couldn't talk with your friends at home."

He shook his head. "I don't know much about what happened in between and I'm not sure how much I want to. The stuff with Meicoomon, with Davis and the others… how it got weird between me and Kari… how Cody kinda hated me."

"Now now." Her head shake offered more reassurance, as did her leaning forward and patting his hand. "You're exaggerating about Cody. Although, to be fair, weird between you and Kari is an understatement."

When he heaved a sigh, she added, "I was more than happy to lend an ear. And yes…" Her lips curled into a smile. "…We opened up quite a bit. Maybe… more than that forum would have allowed were it in public."

He almost missed it. The revelation swept through him with a shiver, taking his breath. "Wait… you mean…" he mumbled.

Catherine offered a faint nod, refusing eye contact. "It was… freeing… and harmless, but oh, so exciting." She drew a satisfied breath. "And I must say you have quite a way with words."

Even so, she left him speechless. "I… wow…"

"It's a little scary being out here in person with you. But once I saw you here I realized I wanted to see if it works. If all of the… scenarios we dreamed up can become reality." She leaned in closer. "This does feel like a dream world after all."

A rustling from the woods halted them, grounding them back into this reality, fantastic as it seemed. TK glanced at the sound, but returned to Catherine straight away. This time, she wasn't afraid to look him in the eyes. "You know… the waterfall's really lovely at night." He was still overwhelmed by his surprise history with someone as stunning as her, but he hid it as best he could, with all the false confidence he could summon. TK leaned forward, and when she did too his lips quivered as they pursed together…

"TK! Catherine! Come look at these cool sticks we found!" shouted Patamon, freezing them in place.

After a round of blinking, their eyes opened and they exchanged nervous laughter.

"The waterfall, eh?" She repeated a string of slow nods. "…I bet it's even more lovely when we're alone."

* * *

Meiko Mochizuki felt jitters any time she visited Command's conference room. Her resolve to not disappoint Tai flew in the face of her position, which increasingly demanded it. As plans for the new settlement crystallized, everyone began to grasp the kind of resources necessary for the construction. She imagined it would be immense, and that Command would be skittish in demanding it of Ceresmon. Now she had the full list in front of her: a hundred pages for her to flip through as Tai and Henry watched in silence.

The list was extensive and exhaustive, enough to make her appreciate whoever took the time to compile it. She already dreaded her job of procuring it all. From the looks on the officers' faces, that wasn't why they were showing it to her. They wanted a reaction, some thoughtful assessment about its contents. Meiko knew enough about the plans to get a good mental picture, but this report was too stark, ordered by category and preventing her from sensing anything helpful. Did it realize everyone's plan? Would it meet everyone's needs? Was it too much? Too little? She couldn't glean any answers, but she sensed that wasn't the response Tai and Henry hoped for.

"It's quite a lot," She said, setting the report on the table. Catching herself, she added, "…I think."

"Yeah…" said Tai, eyes down.

"We're working on ways to get our own building materials," said Henry. "Wood, steel, that sort of stuff. If we can get that, that will help, but there's still a lot we have to order."

Summoning an air of confidence, she blurted, "I'll do my best to make sure everything's right."

Tai forced a smile. "We believe in you. But we've never asked this much out of Ceresmon and we're really nervous about it."

"You're afraid she wouldn't do all this?"

He nodded. "She helps because she feels like she needs to. Not because she wants to… or even that she likes us all that much. And she's been unreliable before."

"Can we talk to her?"

"Not really. Rhythm did before everyone got here… but she has to take over Kari to do it." Tai winced." I don't want to suggest that."

Meiko cringed. "Yeah… I don't want to see anything like that again."

"Again?" Tai's eyes reflected concern. "You mean it happened again back home?"

"Uh, so anyway…" Henry said it, pausing to think up an appropriate tangent. "We're not really comfortable trying to get all this, but we're sort of stuck with the international kids. We were hoping maybe you could look it over and find some ways they can scale back. They might not be sick of listening to you."

In other words, they wanted her to keep fighting for them, even after they'd reached an impasse. Tai glanced at Henry, but his eyes shifted to her. She wished she could pump a fist and promise results, answering Tai's call and rewarding his decision to give her this job. In reality, the overwhelming report made it impossible to offer any suggestions. Even if she had some, pushing back against the international representatives was well out of her comfort zone.

All she could do was turn it back to Tai and Henry. "What concerns you the most?"

Henry motioned for the report. Meiko was happy to hand it over. "The biggest one is the plan for kitchens in every unit. That's fifty ovens, microwaves, and refrigerators they need to get, install, power, and maintain. I get that they can't be as centralized as us, but that's a big demand."

"I know, but our way's been so hard on Mimi and Tommy."

"I get that we can't expect one team to feed 200 people. They'd go crazy," said Tai. "But they handled 30 or whatever without too much of a problem. Why can't they do, like, six kitchens or something?"

Meiko knew the answer to that: this was a global community. Whatever Digital World magic eliminated the language barrier was powerless against the culinary one. Grouping everyone into small units not only kept teams together, it unified taste buds as well.

Before she could gather enough steam to articulate this point, Henry flew past it. "And it's a lot easier on you ordering in bulk. Lots of little items are so hard to keep track of."

In the end, she surrendered. She doubted she'd be able to change any minds, but she needed to try, for Tai's sake.

"I'll… see what I can do," she mumbled.

"Just tell them it would be too hard for you to sort out," said Tai. "They'll work with you."

"That shouldn't be an excuse." She didn't catch her voice raising. Staring at Tai, she continued, "Whatever I need to do I'm going to try to do it. I shouldn't assume I can't."

His eyes widened, a hand raising in defense. "I… I didn't… I mean I'm sure you can, I just…" Now she felt bad. Of course he didn't assume she wouldn't be up for the task. Tai was in an uncomfortable position, trying to leverage whatever he could, even if that included her perceived incapability.

All three jumped when Eri kicked the door open, dragging Koichi in with her. "The entertainment team has an announcement to make," she declared.

"We're kind of in the middle of something," said Henry.

Meiko nodded. "Sorry."

"Why are _you_ apologizing?" Eri asked, glaring back.

Tai struggled to manage the irritation in his voice. "Eri, I'm not saying entertainment isn't important, but it can probably wait until we're finished."

"Glad to brought that up. But first: Koichi?" She gestured to her counterpart with a smile.

Eyes focused on the table between Tai, Henry, and Meiko, Koichi said, "So Eri and I were talking about Cerealia and we've made three decisions."

"Cerealia?" said Henry. Even without knowing what that was, Meiko sensed his impatience.

"First off, Eri's going to be the primary organizer this year."

"Uh… okay…" Tai fished for a response. "Great, that sounds great!"

"Okay… next we think it would be nice to host it at the new settlement this year."

"Hmm…" Henry narrowed an eye. "That could get a little tricky."

"It's a good idea in general…" Tai framed his words with care. "And it's outside so the settlement doesn't have to be totally done…"

"But you'll still need some facilities… electricity, bathrooms, food prep…"

"Yes, but this would be a good time to show everybody the progress you're making," explained Koichi.

"Like a tour!" added Eri.

"And some of us stationed here don't get to see the other sites. I haven't even been to Isthmian yet."

Tai started nodding. "Yeah, uh… we can make that work. That's stuff they'll need anyway, so why not have a party once it's in place?" Eri smiled, this one kinder than the fierce grins she usually threw at Tai.

"And the third thing we decided is, um…" For all the demands Koichi had been making, he ran out of momentum for the final one.

Eri took over: "Cerealia's supposed to be a springtime thing, right? Since we can't do it in April, we're scheduling it for the last weekend in May."

Tai shot out of his chair. "May?! But that means we'd have to have all that ready by then!"

Her confident grin returned. Eri even whipped her hair. "If you keep putting it off, it's never going to happen! And we need this to happen for everyone needing a party, for Ceresmon to feel honored, and for the new settlement to show itself off!"

"We haven't even finalized the plans yet," Henry pleaded.

"Better get cracking then!" Eri dropped herself into the chair next to Meiko. "Since all of my planning depends on you guys getting things done on your end, I'd better stick around to make sure everything's on track."

Meiko lowered her head and covered her mouth. She didn't want either Tai or Eri to see her smile.

"What's that?" Eri pointed at the report.

Reaching for it to show her, Meiko said, "Everything I need to order for the settlement."

Eri fanned through the pages, too fast to be able to read anything on them. "What, that's it?"

* * *

Mikey Kudo struggled to sleep after hearing all the atrocities of both Marsmon's tyranny and the invading D-Brigade. One used a vast network of local enforcers to force compliance and outright worship of their despot. All production served the needs of the rulers, with demands for ritual sacrifice honored to ensure protection. The D-Brigade disrupted it, but their sweeping, intolerant regime based on martial law offered even less hope for freedom. The only thing worse than suffering under one of the two was to be caught in their constant war for territory.

Every pulse of instinct told him to put an end to it. No doubt each faction had to be immense and powerful enough to take and dominate so much land, but he refused to see any army as unbreakable. Not after defeating an opponent who had been able to subdue the entire world. At the same time, Bagramon's empire had manageable pieces to be toppled in separate climactic showdowns. Mikey knew nothing about the structure, size, or scope of either side. He did realize they were spread too widely for his team to stop alone, and appealing for more reinforcements back at Isthmian was sure to go nowhere. Pursuing peace was a foolish idea from all angles, but it killed Mikey to turn away from it.

"Hey Mikey?" Shoutmon's voice forced his eyes open, mercifully ending any hope of sleep. "We better get moving. Sounds like trouble."

The war horn in the distance popped Mikey upright. He ripped off his sleeping bag, threw his shoes on and ran outside, colliding with Christopher on his way in.

"Grab Tagiru and let's go. They're assembling."

"Ooh, where?!" He jumped when Tagiru appeared behind him with Gumdramon.

"Too close to the pass. We need to go around," said Shoutmon, leading the way.

He found a narrow, manageable slope leading them above the cave. They crouched atop an overlook giving them a clear view of the regiment readying themselves at the base of a small hill. Fifty Bullmon stood in formation, with a dozen Mammothmon behind them. Further back, on a higher elevation, a single Merukimon surveyed the battlefield, his back to the mountain pass.

"We keep going and we should be able to find a way down without them noticing," Shoutmon whispered.

Tagiru kept his voice down, but protested. "No way! We need to see what's going to happen!"

"Nothing good, I'll tell you that."

They heard the the loud engines from the distance as ten Tankdramon advanced, flanked by countless Sealsdramon and Commandramon troops. Despite no commander or signals, every Tankdramon raised its rear cannons and fired shells across the field at the other army.

"Incoming! Bullmon, charge!" Merukimon shouted. The Bullmon advanced over the hill at once. The Mammothmon fired their tusk missiles in unison at the bombs, detonating most of the first wave in midair. The string of explosions and bursting payload boomed over the battlefield, the thunder to go with the rain of metal showering the attackers. Tankdramon switched to its gatling guns, decimating the Bullmon, who in turn tore through dozens of Commandramon. Between the two sides, at least thirty Digimon died in the the first minute.

"This is…" Mikey's stomach churned.

Tagiru watched the Mammothmon catapult balls of ice across the field, disabling a Tankdramon's weapons and making it easy prey for a quartet of Bullmon. "This is so cool…" he mumbled.

"It's terrible," Mikey reprimanded.

One of Tankdramon's long range shells landed and blew up a Mammothmon. "It's sort of cool," Christopher said with a shrug. "But we can't be anywhere near it."

"But…" Mikey wanted to protest. How could he watch this and not want to stop it? Even if these were two armies who appeared to be well practiced at this sort of violence. Even if it was just a single skirmish in a larger theater. Even if both sides would react if a third party tried to step in.

"I'm as disgusted as you, Mikey, but we can't." Of course Shoutmon read his partner's mind. "All of us put together would only be an even fight. And if either of these sides found out humans were here interfering in their battles… they wouldn't take that lying down."

Gumdramon's eyes widened. "The Digimon would be hunting the humans."

"Get down," Christopher spat, dropping flat to the ground, as the others did a moment later. When Mikey eyed him for a silent explanation, he gestured to the cliff opposite the cave. A single Sealsdramon descended from the peak, rappelling down. He kept his eyes on the raging battle, on Merukimon specifically. Once landing, he scrambled for cover on the other end, out of sight.

It didn't take long for Mikey to realize the problem. "Did he just go in the cave?"

"The Kokuwamon!" Tagiru exclaimed.

"As long as he didn't see us. Now let's go," Christopher insisted.

"But they're sitting ducks in there! Haven't they suffered enough?"

"They're not our problem."

"C'mon… Mikey?"

Their argument was background noise to Mikey. The identical debate in his head rang louder. He could talk himself out of interfering with the larger fight: the risk was too high and neither side presented themselves as victims. The Kokuwamon were a different story. They didn't deserve what the Sealsdramon could do to them, and the cave was far enough away from the battlefield to avoid notice. That was probably why the Sealsdramon found it so attractive.

Once again, Shoutmon sensed Mikey's wavering. "Hey, we can take one baddie without you guys getting spotted. Come on, in and out."

Mikey nodded. He looked up at Tagiru, his grin too large to trust on a stealth mission. "Tagiru, stay here and let us know if anything's coming. Whatever you do, stay out of sight." Mikey motioned for Shoutmon and Christopher to follow him back down the slope.

Once at the bottom, Mikey and Christopher found cover while Shoutmon scoped the cave out. Sealsdramon camped at the entrance, eying a sneak attack on Merukimon rather than clearing out anyone inside. He waved forward a second Sealsdramon to rappel down and join him. Shoutmon ducked back in time to stay out of sight.

"I guess everything's okay then?" Shoutmon suggested.

The sound of the second Sealsdramon crashing off the cliff startled all of them. Shoutmon peeked in time to see him scurry across to the cave, but the sound echoed off the cliff walls.

Mikey's squawker crackled with Tagiru's voice: "Hey, the big guy heard that! He's coming over!"

Shoutmon not only confirmed it visually, but the two Sealsdramon retreated deeper into the cave towards the Kokuwamon.

"Oh boy… how bad do we want this Mikey?" Shoutmon asked.

Mikey didn't need the advice. For all the devastation, the least he could do was protect the only innocents. He owed that to himself. He also had a plan. "Tagiru?" he announced on the squawker. "Have Arresterdramon launch an attack on the cliff behind Merukimon."

Tagiru came through right as Merukimon neared the cave. Arresterdramon slammed his tail against the cliff wall, bounding away as the rockslide drew attention away from the cave.

"Will Greymon fit in the cave?" Mikey asked Christopher. Christopher nodded, rushing in with no need for elaboration. If Greymon couldn't deal with the Sealsdramon, the rest of Blue Flare could.

With Merukimon still investigating the rockslide, Mikey and Shoutmon snuck across the cave where they had a better view of Merukimon and could hear the roars and slashes as Greymon tore into Sealsdramon. They also heard the scurrying as one escaped. Mikey ducked behind a rock as he ran out, leaping onto the cliff on the other side. Part of him worried if he'd seen Christopher, but trusted him not to be so careless.

"Thousand Fists!" Merukimon did see the Sealsdramon, however, and in a flash appeared next to the cliff and pummeled him into dust. Next he turned his attention to the cave. Mikey stayed in hiding, but the pressure set in. He mumbled "Christopher, hide," disabling his squawker to avoid the confirmation giving himself away. He couldn't assume Christopher had heard him.

Still, he refused to panic. Compared to past scrapes, this was nothing. Even before Merukimon broached the cave, Mikey had his plan ready. He'd evolve Shoutmon and send him out alone, landing a few weak cheap shots and making up some underground resistance before bolting away. If he could annoy Merukimon enough to get him to chase, OmniShoutmon could improvise from there and get everyone clear.

Mikey whispered Shoutmon the plan, got a smirk of approval, and evolved him. Laying low, they just had to wait for Merukimon to get into an ideal position.

The blast above the cave jolted everybody, the dirt and rock falling from above threatening a cave-in. Mikey mourned his clever plan, rendered obsolete by whoever attacked the cave outside. Merukimon was already stronger than OmniShoutmon; Mikey couldn't risk this new factor forcing the two into a fair fight.

Tagiru's boasting: "Come on! Leave those guys alone and let's have a fair fight!" Mikey almost gave away his position swearing at his teammate. Tagiru was not only risking exposure, but Arresterdramon had even less chance of winning a fair fight. Merukimon dashed outside to meet his new challenger. Mikey could only return to his vantage point and hope it wasn't as serious a problem as he feared.

If Tagiru did anything right, it was buffing his defenses, digifusing Arresterdramon with MetalTyrannomon for additional power and a coat of gray armor. Even so, a face-to-face battle with Merukimon was a grave mistake.

The giant looked over the lanky dragon with suspicion. "That's not your true form. You've been enhanced… fused with some other Digimon. How?"

Tagiru jumped up on the top of Arresterdramon's head, a finger pointed at Merukimon, a wild grin on his face. "It's called digifuse! And it's going to knock you and your whole army out of here!"

"A human?!" Merukimon growled. "What are you doing here?"

"We're protecting-" Before Tagiru could finish, Merukimon appeared in front of Arresterdramon and slammed him into the cliff, throwing Tagiru onto the wall, clinging for his life. Without any hesitation, he charged at him with his knife. It clanged against MetalTyrannomon's armor.

"Spiral Shredder!" Arresterdramon spun, generating enough momentum to force his way out. Merukimon ignored him and set his sights on Tagiru. "Spin Caliber!" Another attack from Arresterdramon lashed him away. Merukimon grunted and charged at the dragon.

Despite being outmatched, Arresterdramon fought off all Merukimon's efforts at attacking Tagiru, but was punished each time he tried to save his partner. Mikey watched with gritted teeth, seeing Merukimon's speed and strength and wondering how OmniShoutmon could safely intervene.

"The hell's happening?" Christopher asked, appearing behind Mikey with Greymon at the ready. "What did he do?"

"He drew Merukimon away from us. He thought we were in trouble." Mikey failed to hide his irritation.

"So he gives us away?! You know what that could mean?!"

"Look, he just wanted to-"

"When are you going to stop making excuses for him?" Mikey turned around and found Christopher's glare. "We had this under control."

Mikey returned to the battle. He didn't need the lecture. He was frustrated at Tagiru too. But he refused to let that hover over his decision-making. He still needed to find an opening, and a tactic to capitalize on it.

"Thousand Fists!" A flurry of punches knocked Arresterdramon back into the cliff and reeling, too far to prevent Merukimon from reaching Tagiru. The hunter dangled from a small outcropping, helpless as he fell into the Mega's shadow. "You'll be the first to experience the fate of every filthy human in this territory."

"DX Double Blade!" Shoutmon DX's claws slashed across Merukimon, sending him spinning to the ground. Mikey and Christopher rode atop his shoulders, watching their enemy for any movement. They saw too much: Merukimon staggered to his feet, clutching his back, fury in what little of his face they could see.

"How many of you are there?!" he spat.

"More than you can count!" shouted Tagiru. Despite both being on the ropes, he and Arresterdramon shrugged off their pain to stand united next to Shoutmon DX. "Knock us down all you like. We'll keep getting back up! Come at us with whatever you want! It doesn't matter! The power of a human bonded with Digimon makes us invincible!"

Mikey doubted this pontification was a good idea. Humans had no business in this war, and Tagiru just announced not only their presence, but boasted about their strength. Who knew what kind of response that could generate? Merukimon glared back at Tagiru, then shifted his eyes to Shoutmon DX and the two generals atop it. Mikey forced himself to cast away his doubts, steel his expression, and nod back in unwavering support of what may have been yet another tactical error.

Merukimon narrowed his eyes, his voice like gravel: "Is that so?"

He leaped backwards and sprinted back to his post in the battle. What remained of the two sides still charged each other. Mikey didn't give his team any chance to celebrate the retreat before leading them down the pass, well away from any adversity.

Once they added enough distance, they stopped to return their Digimon to their Fusion Loaders and take a breath. Despite no harm coming to them or the Kokuwamon, Mikey treated the day like a loss. His shoulders hung low as he splashed his face with water from a nearby stream.

"Wow! Was that cool or what?!" Tagiru's exuberance kept Mikey from turning around. There was nothing to cheer, and plenty of reason to be discouraged.

He was glad Christopher took care of the lecture: "Don't be stupid. That was a disaster. We told you we can't show ourselves, so you stare down a Merukimon?"

Tagiru held his grin. "I totally bailed you guys out!"

"We would have been fine. You nearly got killed. And now he knows we're around." With a scoff, he added, "Those Kokuwamon weren't worth it. I hope you get that, Mikey."

Mikey did. Saving the Kokuwamon was a compulsion, giving him no more satisfaction than scratching an itch. Now it burned even more.

Tagiru kept the argument going. "But that's what we do here, right? Save Digimon? And in my case, save you two!"

"Tagiru." Mikey finally spoke, silencing both of them. He dragged his feet back to them. "I get what you're saying, but you jumping out there may have caused a lot of problems. I know you were-"

"What, you're going to give me grief too?!" Mikey refused to look up. He knew what kind of mania would be in those eyes. The ones who had once tasted the glory of singlehandedly saving the world. The ones who never again saw that high. The ones who saw the Digital World not as a dangerous struggle for survival, but as a new opportunity to shine all over again. Mikey couldn't bear to fight them. "I put everything on the line for you! You're not my mentor out here! You know what I'm capable of! You just saw it!"

He did. He saw everything. It was a depressing reminder of the one curveball fate refused to stop throwing him. The constant in his life of somehow always having to rely on Tagiru Akashi. Why did he expect this world to be any different, and why did he think he could keep riding his luck before it led to something terrible?

* * *

Kari Kamiya wouldn't admit how much she enjoyed having Astra's arm around her waist, even if he was only clutching her to stay atop Nefertimon. Still, the contact didn't distract her from her main job of finding the location Davis picked out. She also had to note that he should have had two arms around her. The other wandered around, forming hand gestures, pretending to take pictures, and something he described as "going for a one-armed dab." She didn't understand.

"Didn't you know you're supposed to keep your hands and arms inside the ride?" she called out.

With an unhappy sigh, Astra wrapped his free hand around her. Then he squeezed her, pulling his chest into her back. Her hunt for their date spot became harder with his warm breath on her neck. But in that moment, she was quite all right with getting lost and flying a little longer than necessary.

To her shock, she found the woods in question. "Oh! There it is! Nefertimon, bring us down!"

Astra waited for them to land. As he helped her off, he asked, "Sounds like you've never been here before?"

She stammered for a moment before answering, "Uh, this place was recommended by… a friend. He said there were some interesting Digimon to see here."

"Ooh, groovy! In the woods there?" She nodded. He took her hand and pulled her towards it. Gatomon barely kept up, dragging along a picnic basket.

A wooden sign nailed to a tree welcomed them to a dojo, sending Astra into fits of excitement. Kari had to shush him in advance of seeing the Digimon themselves: a dozen small, two-legged reptiles with traditional Japanese armor. They organized themselves in neat rows, practicing leaping attacks in perfect unison. Either they didn't notice the two humans or were so focused on their training they ignored them.

"Whoa!" The lack of response to Astra's cry made it clear it was the latter. Kari bowed in apology for him anyway.

They kept their distance from the army, walking behind them and avoiding eye contact until settling on the other side, far enough away so that their picnic wouldn't distract them.

"Those guys are amazing!" Astra continued to marvel at them from a distance. "Are they wearing sode? And there isn't even a captain… they've got all that down!"

She admired his excitement, even if she failed to see the fun in historical warrior training. Gatomon helped out in saying, "They're called Ryudamon." Kari refused to say she'd never seen one before.

"Ryudamon… so groovy!"

His elation drew a sigh of relief from Kari, but she kept trying to read him throughout lunch, watching him more than the Ryudamon in formation. Astra was into it… at least at first. But as they progressed and the entertainment or scenery didn't change, his eyes wandered more, his legs fidgeted, and he reached for anything to talk about. She had abandoned introducing her own topics, and even Gatomon followed suit, keeping to herself and demanding the two break the ice themselves.

"So did you make all this?" he asked after eating most of it with no comment.

"Yeah, last night." She chuckled. "Hard to find time in the kitchen when someone's not in there."

He only nodded back. She didn't expect elation—her mother's health food kick left her at a disadvantage when it came to cooking instinct—but his inability to expand the conversation was discouraging. Despite Davis picking a location that appeared to be, at least at first, interesting to Astra, Kari found little to enjoy about the date. She spent more time worrying about him, and nothing about the Ryudamon appealed to her.

The Ryudamon had stopped their training and mulled about, some glancing at the two humans with mild curiosity, but thankfully no hostility. Kari wanted to get through dessert and hope Davis's next agenda item landed better.

Instead, Astra asked, "You having fun?"

"I, um, uh…" She didn't know why his question caught her so off guard. She did know faking it wouldn't fly. "Sort of… I mean… it's about me making sure you have fun, right?"

"What? No! You need be into it too!" He gestured at the Ryudamon. "These guys are cool and all but why would you come out here if you wouldn't be into it?"

"Well…" By the time she realized the impact of her answer, it was already coming out: "I guess I didn't think you'd enjoy any of the things I like to do."

It was a terrible thing to say on a date. But she needed to, for herself as much as him. Much as she loved his ability to sweep her away with bold ideas and grand gestures, it wouldn't lead to a successful relationship. That depended on having things to do and things to talk about that didn't involve surprise dance parties. A childhood of fighting and tragedy meant her idea of a good time involved finding peace in a good book, a friendly chat, or an afternoon flight with her Digimon. Astra grew up in a household of oppressive serenity. When he wanted to break free, he chased chaos. How could the two possibly mesh?

Finally, she asked, "That's… a problem, isn't it?"

Astra grimaced, jabbing a few nods. "Kinda why I wanted to see what your dates looked like."

An alert from her D-Terminal provided a welcome distraction. Kari would never wish for a massive disaster demanding her immediate return to the castle, but if there were ever a time…

Davis's message was short: "Get ready to run."

"What's wrong?" asked Astra. She didn't have time to try to explain it before the loud roar behind them.

They couldn't see what caused it and they didn't have time to look harder. "Kari?" Gatomon tugged on her shirt, alerting her to the the Ryudamon lined up in a fighting stance.

At once, they all shouted, "Charge!" They ran straight at Kari and Astra.

"Time to go," said Gatomon, jumping into Kari's arms. She had already started backpedaling, abandoning their dishes, turning around and reaching a sprint in seconds, the Ryudamon right behind them.

Gatomon, tall grass, and all the trees to weave around slowed them, allowing some of the Ryudamon to catch up. The Ryudamon didn't attack them, however. They raced by, some zig-zagging around them. One leaped onto Astra's hat and bounded forward. Enough got ahead that he and Kari weren't running away from them as much as they were running with them.

Astra laughed. "This is so groovy!"

"But what are we running at?!" Kari cried.

At the edge of the woods, they reached a tall patch of grass. By then the lead Ryudamon had stopped. Astra, Kari, and Gatomon raced through it into the muddy pond on the other side. All three tumbled in.

Gatomon escaped and swam to the surface first, looking down again. Her concern was unnecessary as the water was only a few feet deep. Kari and Astra paddled to the other end, her partner helping them out to catch their breath on the grass, soaking wet, mud splattered across their hands, knees, and shoes. Splayed across the ground, she marveled at how the date had somehow managed to get even worse.

"Davis…" she moaned. His warning could have only meant one thing.

"Davis? Was that your friend who suggested this place?" asked Astra.

"Yes," she answered with a sigh. She sat up and peeled her shoes and socks off, wiping her slimy hands on Gatomon. Upright, she saw Davis and ExVeemon circling the pond to approach them. "…among other things," she added.

"How was your date?" Davis asked with a broad grin. Kari just glared back.

Astra hopped to his feet, throwing his arms over his head. "Awesome!" The motion sprayed water into Kari's face.

"That stampede was your idea, wasn't it?" she asked.

Davis nodded. "You bet! Happened to the response team once. Takato loved it. Cool how they only go after the threat and not you guys, isn't it?"

"It totally is!" Astra cheered.

Kari's shoulders slumped. All the doubts she had before solidified into a hard conclusion. She figured she'd get it over with while she was already exhausted and miserable. "Tora, I don't know if this is going to work. You're great and all but…" She heaved a few breaths. "I don't know how many more dates I can take."

"Aw, that's okay!" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled himself in, squeezing enough to drench her further. "We're still hanging out though. I promise you'll love it!"

She blushed; despite the discomfort, she loved his proximity. "I suppose."

He released her and turned to Davis. "But hey, you got any more date ideas as good as this one?"

Davis's face lit up. "Oh, I got a million of 'em! Why, you wanna go out with me?"

"Hmm…" Astra scratched his chin. "I've never gone out with a dude before… is it groovy? Is it not?" His arms crossed, his hands finding the air. "It's so groovy!"

"Cool! Let's shoot for next Saturday! Oh, and bring a towel."

Kari fell back on her elbows, letting her dripping changing course. Eyes to the sky, she wondering just how much Yolei and Mimi would laugh when she explained how Davis stole her boyfriend.

* * *

Keenan Crier had grown adept at night surveillance. A childhood deprived of artificial light and the safety of the indoors made it a survival trait. Few seedy dealings in the Digital World happened in the dark, but he was more comfortable eavesdropping on them when they were. When following up on the battle between Marsmon's army and the D-Brigade a few days after Mikey reported it, he was comfortable watching the pieces move after the sun disappeared.

It was the only comfortable thing about it. No amount of mental bracing could prepare him for the sight of Merukimon as a merciless captain, standing in a sentry position outside the cave. Falcomon patted Keenan's hand.

They braced themselves when the Sealsdramon approached him, gun at the ready. Instead of a fight, however, Merukimon nodded and Sealsdramon lowered his weapon.

"Do you have an answer from your superiors?" Merukimon asked, his booming voice familiar enough to tear at Keenan's heart.

"Yes. He finds it curious Marsmon is resorting to such bold action so quickly."

"He has not come to this decision lightly. It is a reflection of how dangerous the situation is."

"So you say. But you must forgive General Darkdramon for being skeptical of your claims."

Merukimon peered into the cave. A squadron of Commandramon forced the Kokuwamon out at gunpoint. They dragged their tiny feet along the dirt, some too weak and forced to crawl or be carried. On orders, they lined up along the cliff wall. The Commandramon kept their sights on them.

"You took shelter in this cave during the recent battle, correct?" Merukimon didn't face the Kokuwamon, but his raised voice made the subject of the interrogation clear.

One Kokuwamon eased forward and nodded. "Yes, but we didn't see anything of it."

Eyes square on Sealsdramon, Merukimon asked, "While here, did you encounter and provide aid to humans?"

"The opposite, sir. The humans aided us. We were starving and…"

"If you were starving, why were you out here? You belong in our plants."

"The plant was under attack. It was destroyed by the…" The Kokuwamon eyed Sealsdramon with caution. "…in the liberation effort."

"Liberation?" Merukimon and Sealsdramon glared at each other, the latter tilting a head. The Mega paced past the Kokuwamon, raising his voice: "Marsmon offers you his protection, a chance to live in peace under his rule, and that isn't enough for you? You flee from your homes and beg for scraps from some human invaders?"

The Kokuwamon had no answer, only bowing his head.

Merukimon returned to Sealsdramon. "Does that satisfy you?"

Sealsdramon gave a reluctant nod. "This must be dealt with. We agree to your terms."

After nodding back, Merukimon paced again. "Kokuwamon, you refer to the D-Brigade's attack on your home as a liberation, you flee instead of fighting for your land, and you accept help from outsiders. Do you deny this?"

"We… we had no choice," the Kokuwamon pleaded.

Merukimon looked away. "In this time of strife we must all be unified against the growing threat. We cannot show mercy on those who commit treason." He raised an arm. The Commandramon fingered their triggers.

Keenan and Falcomon buried their heads before the chorus of gunfire.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 8:** **"Taking Over the World"**  
Isthmian discovers the ramifications of Tagiru revealing himself to the northern armies. Maki confronts Meiko about her cold attitude towards her. A routine investigation team mission gives Izzy more than he bargained for.

" _That's three times you've saved my life in the last five minutes. Careful or I'll read into that."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** Poker in Japan isn't all that big a thing, but it seemed like something Mikey and Christopher would totally go for (and Tagiru would be pathetic at). This is where the blanket "Christopher was hanging around America" thing from Hunters really comes in handy!

Cerealia was an actual festival in Ancient Rome for the goddess of grain Ceresmon is named for. At some point Koichi read a book and thought this was a great excuse for a party.

It was bubbling under the surface of their more direct confrontations last season but in his future, Cody had developed issues with TK well before the whole Suzie drama.

While the individual Digimon comprising the D-Brigade have been spotted infrequently (most prominently in the Next manga), the group itself is one of those like the Olympos XII that are mostly confined to background lore in the video or card games. Appropriate then that their enemy and key subordinate are part of the Olympos XII. Ryudamon debuted in the Chronicle manga nobody cares about. His Mega form can become Alphamon's sword!

Sode is traditional Japanese shoulder armor and I'm cursing Astra for making me dig through complex samurai battle dress pages to find an equivalent Ryudamon actually wears.


	8. Taking Over the World

**Author** **'s Note**  
Kicking off a string of four more chapters! I'm updating every three weeks starting today, so steady updates into August. Woo! Going every three weeks instead of every two weeks, and having four chapters should get me further along with the next block of three chapters, which gets us to the halfway point of the story!

Content Warning: While not overly graphic, this chapter depicts realistic consequences to violence and physical trauma.

 **Nexusworld**

 _The city has the sun now. We leased it long ago._  
 _But when did we become okay with letting nothing grow?_  
 _I say we fight, we crawl, we stand, we make our way back home._  
 _We are the only people who grow flowers out of bones._  
 _\- Coyote Theory,_ _"Taking Over the World"_

 **Episode 8**

Tai Kamiya stepped onto the train platform in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. Across the track, a green hillside blocked the view, offering only monotonous untamed grass. On the other side, a tall forest tried to hide all the secrets beyond it. Still, the wide stone road running through it and the platform itself made it too obvious something was there. He preferred their settlements blend in. Imposing as his castle was, its earth colors offered camouflage and the surrounding mountains restricted access. This place may as well have had a labeled mailbox.

"Was the road part of the plan?" asked Henry. Kari snapped pictures of the platform. Tai wished more could have joined the tour.

They expected the welcoming party to walk through the path or ride in on Digimon. Instead, a pair of headlights appeared. Meiko drove in on an airport luggage taxi, Mina alongside her. They towed two large carts: Michael and his Betamon sat in the rear, along with another American digidestined and both Meramon and Frigimon. The two did their best to avoid each other.

"And here you hoped Meiko would keep them from splurging," said Terriermon.

Meiko pulled up next to the platform, alongside the Trailmon, so tight Mina had no room to get out. She poked her head out and grimaced at Tai. "Sorry! Lost track of time."

Tai was more focused on the efficiency behind her: from the cart, Michael slid the train door open. The other digidestined and his Frigimon jumped aboard to push large boxes onto the cart. Meramon guided them into place, a process fast and practiced. The carts were just the right height and Meiko parked in the perfect spot. They loaded several boxes in no time.

Meiko stepped out to let Mina greet Tai. "Welcome. We hope you're satisfied with our progress." The respect in her voice didn't mask the confidence. She wasn't asking for their approval so much as declaring it inevitable.

"Where did you…" Tai pointed at the cart.

"It's pretty amazing what you can get online," said Meiko, amid nervous side glances.

Mina explained, "With so much material coming in, we needed an easy way to transport it to the settlement." She left no room for protest.

"Anyway, um… hop on!" Meiko gestured toward the first cart. There were no actual seats and Meramon already claimed a corner. The three officers and their partners sat on the opposite end, with the two Americans as their only human company.

Henry pointed at the one with brown hair and glasses. "Steve, right?" Steve smiled and nodded.

Tai raised an eyebrow at Henry. "How did you…"

"Cool to finally meet you in person, Tai," said Steve. "Mimi and Kari have told me so much about you." Tai turned to Kari. She ignored him and caught up on a friendship Tai didn't know they had.

Meiko backed the carts up. The departing train rushed behind Tai, so close he could sense each car pass. The two carts wobbled, threatening to veer into it, enough to prompt Tai to lean forward and clutch the edge.

Michael and Steve smirked. "Courage," joked Michael. Meiko focused, made the adjustments, and backed the cart up like a pro.

Tai leaned over the edge and watched the stone she drove over. The ride was smooth, to his surprise.

"If you're curious…" Michael said to Tai and Henry, certain they were. "The stone was from that decrepit castle you sent us to. We needed a smooth path for the car. We'll use it for decor as well."

It was a good idea. Tai wasn't sure he would have thought of it. He sat back as Meiko continued the smooth, uneventful ride through the woods.

The canopy gave way to the construction site. Steel beams stretched three stories high across more than fifty yards. Around him, individual dorms sat in various stages of completion. Tai had seen the floor plans before, but struggled to imagine where everything belonged. Between the main structure and the side projects, at least fifty digidestined and partners helped with assembly and installation.

That was just outside. Meiko veered to the far left, where a concealed ramp led them down to the lower floor. The storage area stretched out fifty feet, almost all of it filled with pallets of furniture, fixtures, and flooring. Six kids and their partners wasted no time hauling the contents of the second cart off.

Meiko hopped off the car and said, "All of those can go in A4."

"Wait, the bottom one is bathroom tile," Steve added.

"Oh, sorry! Bottom one is B1!" Meiko gave a sheepish bow. Steve gave her a thumb's up.

Tai watched Meiko with a perplexed smile. "You've got a whole system. And people."

She lowered her head, blushing as she walked with him to the door. "No way I could do it alone."

"And you can… drive?"

"Neighbors taught me in their fields."

He raised an eyebrow. The only driver in his group was Yamato and his dumb moped. "It's, uh, kinda hot." She froze in place, too embarrassed to keep walking.

As they stepped into the hallway of concrete floor and mostly unfinished offices, Henry looked up at the overhead light fixtures. "You have power already?"

Michael nodded. "I know it's supposed to come later, but we want to be able to work here during construction. In fact, Meiko should be able to get everything done here now. We worked out how to tap into the internet. Maki's hooking everybody up today."

"Maki?" Tai pushed through the group, alarms ringing in his head. "Himekawa's doing what now?"

With a sporting chuckle, Michael answered, "She's been a big help figuring out how to connect here. Knowing about older networks turned out to be the key to getting us online."

"But… you know what she did, right?" asked Kari, glancing back at Meiko. She kept her head down, bottling a visible discontent.

"Of course, but to be fair, she hasn't done it yet," Mina replied. "And if we've learned anything from your team it's compassion and forgiveness." Her eyes strayed down to Gatomon.

"I suppose…" said the feline.

Michael smiled. "Besides, when you think about it, she's perfect for IT. First sign of trouble, she turns things off and on again."

Tai found Kari to share in the discomfort and disapproving frowns.

"Uh, so…" Henry blurted. "What all can you run out of here now?"

"Besides hospitality, once we're online we can manage everything for the construction project," said Michael. He stopped everyone in front of an unfinished room with a number of water and electric connections sticking out of the wall. "We want to prioritize the kitchen as well to reduce Mimi's load and make sure we're ready for Cerealia."

Tai nodded, but with a dissatisfied sigh. Thanks to Eri's declaration, they only had two weeks left. The settlement had made incredible progress in just a month, but the deadline felt like an artificial constraint rearranging priorities. There had to be more important things to focus on.

As they continued the tour, he asked about the biggest one: "Do you have a command room yet?"

"Oh, that'll be upstairs. Mina, do you know what's going on with that?"

She shook her head. "We left that to the DATS group to organize. And Daigo's team is on protection duty."

"Oh." Tai scratched his head. "I guess I'll talk with them then." He didn't doubt Sampson and Daigo could keep everyone safe, but the lack of concern from the representatives that were supposed to be in charge unsettled him.

Michael and Mina steered the group through a wide opening in the left wall that would someday hold a series of giant doors. The other side stretched across eighty feet to meet unfinished walls extending down another hundred. A dozen kids and Digimon worked to add drywall under the bright lamps flooding the room. Despite the naked cement floor, bare ceiling twenty feet above, and all the charm of a sealed box, Tai was blown away by the possibilities for this assembly hall.

"We're ahead of schedule on this room," said Mina. "Your festival is in good hands."

If there were any chairs, Tai would have sat down to soak it in. For all the quibbles he could have about their structure and lack of emphasis on security, to get this much done in little more than a month startled him. The international teams were organized, capable, and had the remarkable numbers and drive to create what would surely be a beautiful building.

In a way, it was intimidating. Tai had always been proud of how his team and the tamers had found and settled the castle, and how they and Davis and Takuya's teams built it into a place to call home. He thought it meant he had nothing to prove to anyone. Now, staring at the inevitable achievement of what had always been the supporting players in protecting the world, he wasn't as sure.

* * *

Sora Takenouchi didn't expect to find a moral dilemma in the cramped storeroom. She thought she'd be in and out once she grabbed a few items to replenish the bathrooms. Instead, she stared at one of the products and its unexpectedly low inventory. Then she left the room and double-checked her files to make sure she wasn't mistaken. No, there were supposed to be a few more there. Now she had the question of what to do, or even if doing anything was a major overreaction. This would have been far simpler if she wasn't dealing with packs of aspirin.

The numbers weren't too severe, only six single-serving packs gone. That was low enough to be chalked up to missing a line when reporting or someone taking it and forgetting to check out. She'd done it before. Still, this was a drug, and if six packs were taken by one person without authorization, that pointed to an urgent problem requiring immediate officer intervention. If, of course, they could determine the culprit. The process to determine that would be invasive and uncomfortable for everybody in the castle. Quite a hassle over what was more likely an innocent clerical error.

In the middle of her anguish over whether to cry wolf, the door opened. She didn't flinch: besides her and Ryouma, every officer had a key to the room… another variable complicating her problem. Sora focused on the missing inventory so much she wasn't ready for two hands to clutch her waist and two lips to kiss her neck. She leaned back and closed her eyes. One hand found his while the other tousled his hair. She hated the timing, but relished the distraction.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"Saw you go in," said Takuya, trailing kisses back to the nape of her neck. "Thinking this room's private. Got some nice hiding places too."

She rolled her eyes, but how could she say no to a random mid-day romp amid this life she found herself in? By day, the stress and penance of maintaining the castle and working with someone as unusual as Ryouma gave her fulfillment. By night, she and Takuya could relieve each other of all their worries. What was one more indulgence in this little paradise?

All she had to do was unload her responsibilities. "Okay, but let me deal with this first." In reality she already had a spot picked out.

Takuya pulled himself closer to her. "What were you doing? You looked like you were spacing out."

"Some aspirin packs are missing." He'd put her at peace so much she no longer cared about the consequences of reporting it. "Either we messed up the counts or someone took them."

He scoffed. "That's what you're worried about?"

She craned her neck around, needing him to see her displeasure. "If somebody's sneaking pills, that's a big deal."

"But you just said you don't know if that's what's going on. Just make a note and keep an eye on it."

Sora took a calming breath. It was almost a reasonable compromise. "Think we can get a camera just in case?"

"I'm sure we can get Jeremy on that. But first…" He leaned in for a deep, motionless kiss, two seconds of precise joy. "Better make the most of this room before anything goes up."

Despite herself, she chuckled. Hand in his, they walked into the room. She sensed Takuya cared more about putting her at ease than actually addressing the situation, but "at ease" was hard to resist.

She led him to an open wall ideal for pinning. She forgot about the missing aspirin in seconds. Right or wrong, she could get lost in his arms, lips, hips, and everything else aimed her way. Her legs wrapped around his, her spirit already floating.

They had each shed a layer of clothing when they heard a knock on the door. Sora jumped off him, motionless as she listened for more. Between kisses to her neck and below, Takuya said, "Don't answer… if he had a key… he'd use it."

She faced him again, trying both to succumb to the pleasure and keep one ear open. The door unlocked and slid open. Takuya stifled a gasp and joined her along the wall. Sora bent down to retrieve her sweater while he stared at the distant shirt he had thrown across the room.

Daring to peek at their new company, Sora's eyes widened when she saw him take a pack of aspirin, open it, and swallow the pills right there. His identity shocked her so much she forgot her situation and stepped out right away. "Mr. Yushima!"

He let out a yelp and bent down, clutching the supply rack for support. She ran out to help brace him. "What's going on?"

"You startled me. Usually people answer when they knock." Yushima looked past her as Takuya made a break for his shirt, the attempt at swiftness making him loud and conspicuous. The elder raised an eyebrow at Sora. "Ah, that explains that."

Despite looking away in embarrassment, she kept going: "Were you the one taking all the aspirin?"

"Yes, yes, you caught me. I didn't want to raid the bathrooms in case others needed it."

Takuya folded his arms. "That's thoughtful. We do have to put up with Tagiru."

"Be nice," Sora shot back before returning to Yushima. "Is something wrong? You don't take that much for fun."

"Well, you might, but that would be an even bigger problem."

Yushima leaned in. "I'm an old man, that's what's wrong. Body's not cooperating the way it did before we started aging here."

"Do we need to get Joe up here?" asked Sora.

"No need to rush." He took a deep breath. "I'm just wearing down, that's all. I was a bit over the hill when we went in to find Keenan. That was twenty years ago. All these adventures take a toll."

Sora nodded back. She'd often thought about the physical drain of fighting for survival and just how much it took from everybody. She still bore reminders of her first Digital World trip, and doubted Takuya would request as many massages as he did if he never had to fight the battles himself. And they were healthy children at the time. She couldn't imagine what someone Yushima's age would feel.

"Well just talk to me or Ryouma first," she said. "I was worried about where those went. Lucky I caught you."

Takuya wavered. "Uh, lucky's a bit strong…"

"All right, all right," said Yushima. "I'd rather not bother anyone but if you insist… I'll let you get back to your fun." He turned around and exited. Sora and Takuya waited for the door to latch.

He rubbed her shoulder. "So, uh… guess that solves that."

Sora shrugged. "Yeah. But now I'm a little depressed."

"I know a fix for that!"

She shook her head. The moment had been lost. "Maybe you should get back to running the castle."

"I guess…" he moaned.

* * *

Meiko Mochizuki stretched out on her new futon in her new office, allowing herself some silent satisfaction in having things and space to call her own. It was all pragmatic: the office gave her a proper workspace and the futon gave her the option to spend the night. With only a few other beds installed it was a lonely prospect, but having it revealed the importance of her work. After showing off her ability with Tai and the others visiting, she took time to soak in the success.

Normally she didn't like being alone, but today was a rare occasion where the company was pleasant. The usual doubts and fears in her head had stepped back for peace and optimism. The settlement was in good shape, she was a major contributor to it, and she found value in telling herself this. There would be plenty of time for the office to become her prison, the computer against the wall serving as her chain.

She realized the computer hadn't been there that morning. Someone had come in to install it. That someone was still in the room, tangled in wires behind the desk.

"Um… hello?" Meiko said, mortified at the thought of coming in and relaxing without noticing or regarding them.

"One second." The voice flooded her body with tension. She couldn't be comfortable with Maki in the room. She might not be comfortable in there ever again.

Maki crawled out from under the desk and checked the computer, nodding in satisfaction without acknowledging Meiko. "You're all set up. Log in the same way you did before to access river ordering." She turned around. "This also connects to the server network Isthmian discovered."

Meiko blinked. This was too much technology for Maki to have her fingers in. "They have you setting up the internet?"

Maki's hands found her hips. "I know what the internet is. You're not that far ahead of me." She eyed the computer. "In fact, set-up is easier than I'm used to. USB cables…" She turned back to Meiko and smirked. "I will not miss serial ports."

"If that's everything then you should um…" Meiko's led her to the door with her eyes.

Grin gone, Maki stared at the door as well but didn't move. Meiko didn't want a confrontation. She didn't want to be forceful. She just needed her out of sight. Her hand started to tremble.

Maki's face had fallen completely, but she stayed in place. Turned out she was more than open to confrontation. "What is your problem with me?"

Meiko closed her eyes and bent down, her hands shaking on her lap. She knew the danger of saying too much about her past and Maki's future. She was in no way capable of sustaining an honest conversation about it. She couldn't let it happen. "You should go," she mumbled.

She hoped the ensuing silence meant Maki was dragging herself out the door. Maki stopped short of it, staring at it, waiting for something else to happen first. Nothing did. She took a deep breath and said, "I'd rather have an answer." She turned around, worn eyes square on Meiko. "It was bad enough to have my destined partner slaughtered because I apparently wasn't good enough at the job I didn't volunteer for."

The shaking spread to Meiko's arms. "Just stop."

"Now I'm stuck here surrounded by kids who still have their partners, and get to live here forever with them."

Her head twitched. "Please…"

"But it's not all bad. At least I can make myself useful. Maybe have some say in my life for once." Maki stepped forward until she hovered over Meiko. "It's even possible that I'm not alone anymore. That I'm not the only one who's been made to suffer like this." She blinked, eyes welling up. "That's it's not just me. That anyone in my position would feel this way."

"Himekawa…" Meiko tried to shrivel up, imagining popping into another form and scurrying under the door.

"But no. We aren't even on a first name basis." Maki took a step back, her voice softening. "I heard what happened to Meicoomon. I'm furious. You didn't deserve that." She waited for a response Meiko refused to give. "You don't have to pretend things are fine. We both know they aren't."

Of course they weren't. That wasn't up for debate. Every word made all the grief and anger pour out. Meiko's breath hastened, to the point of hyperventilating. Her voice quiet and raspy, she mumbled, "Why are you doing this?"

"So you stop hiding it around me. I want to see it. I…" Maki blinked. "I want to share mine."

Meiko's head shook as much as her body, but couldn't stop Maki from leaning in. "You'll understand. You'll agree with me. You… you and I are the same."

The dam broke and all of Meiko's pressure washed away in one instant release. Only unfiltered rage remained. She shot to her feet, stared Maki in the eyes, and shouted, "Get out!" Maki stepped back, eyes wide. Meiko's were full of tears but she didn't stop, scaring even herself with the rising volume of her voice: "Out! Out! Get out!"

Maki backed to the door, a few frightened gasps her only audible reaction. Meiko didn't hear them. She charged forward, making sure Maki not only left, but the door slammed behind her. That sound she heard, and it allowed all the emotions to flood out. She fell to the floor, her back to the door, tears pouring out with no control. The outburst was out of her hands now, with no telling when it would stop. Her only source of solace was having nobody around to see it.

* * *

Izzy Izumi was less enthusiastic about the mission than he normally was. Now that they had restored and tapped into the network, physical exploration of individual servers felt redundant. It wasn't that there was nothing to be learned: seeing how Globemon's modifications affected each server yielded important information. But this sort of follow-up was more tedious and less exciting than a potential for discovery.

It was also a few miles into the new continent, which Izzy was still leery of visiting. It didn't look dangerous: Mikey had visited the area a couple times after the Merukimon debacle and reported it just as empty as before. And he, Izzy, and Gatchmon's data agreed the old library in the middle of nowhere lined up with a server location. Still, even Izzy couldn't repress all his old biases, and the untamed territory was the last place he wanted the team to visit after such a harrowing scrape at the landfill.

The library must have been lovely at some point. It didn't leave a huge footprint, only a single floor nestled into the edge of a forest. Two wings cheated forward, suggesting a third behind the golden cupola at the center. Patterned columns guarded the entrance as the team climbed the marble steps to the main set of doors. One fell off its hinges when Rei pulled it open. It preceded the layer of dust covering everything in sight. Tiny cobwebs haunted the corners, too small to come from more dangerous arachnid Digimon.

All the dust in the air made Zoe squint. "Haru, can I steal those goggles?"

Haru didn't respond. He only saw the towering, overflowing shelves spread across the rotunda and down each wing. "Books…" he said in a trance.

Izzy grinned. "Unless someone's in charge here, I'm sure we can take a few for our collection. Sound good?"

Gatchmon chuckled. "Are you kidding?" He gestured to Haru. "No coincidence he had a crush on the bookstore owner's daughter."

Zoe leaned in, elbowing Haru's ribs. "Ooh, now we're getting some cracks in that shell. What's her name?"

Haru looked away, frowning. "Um, Ai."

"That's precious."

"Let's find the server," Rei declared.

"Come on, there's no rush." Zoe looked around, grinning. "What, are you going to miss doing nothing back at base?"

Nene smiled. "It's refreshing not having anything trying to kill us."

Izzy added a nod. "If this place is really deserted, we should consider restoring it."

"Can we?!" asked Haru, face lighting up again. "That would be great!"

"Well, business first, then we'll talk. Gatchmon, any leads?"

Gatchmon ran a search but shook his head. "There's so much action I can't find where it starts. Definitely around here somewhere."

"Why don't we look around for clues?" Haru asked.

"And for books to check out," Zoe added for him.

"Here…" Nene reloaded Mervamon, Beelzemon, and Monitamon. "A little help since Rei's in such a hurry."

Mervamon glared at her general. "You're kidding, right?"

Even if they weren't in a time crunch, the library's density made the extra eyeballs useful. Izzy, Nene, Tentomon, and a Monitamon searched the middle wing, casually eying the shelves. There was too much dust to inspect everything by hand and nothing jumped out as being suspicious.

What Izzy did find odd was how this wing ended so abruptly, at best half the length of the other two. It stopped in a set of four bookshelves stretching to the ceiling. He needed a minute to realize why that looked funny: the bronze border on the ceiling didn't end. The inference was clear: "I think there's something behind these."

Nene paused, staring at the books. "Ooh, you think we have to pull the right book to open the secret passage?"

He smiled back. Tentomon hovered to the far left shelf and said, "Don't hog all the fun now."

Izzy wanted to be methodical and look for some sort of book symbolizing access to whatever was behind, but when Nene and Tentomon worked their way from the bottom tugging everything, compulsion dragged him into the race. Tentomon was in the lead three rows up, but Izzy at least caught up to Nene.

On row four, right at eye level, Izzy tugged too hard and sent three books to the floor. "Hey, that's cheating!" said Monitamon, but he ignored him. Instead a hole in the back took his full attention. The room behind was dark and empty, the continued wall and ceiling designs the only decor. His window cast enough light into the room to reveal the creature inside.

It took up almost half the hallway's width, and that was with its wings at its side. Through its silver helmet, Izzy locked eyes with it. He broke contact, straying down past a white mane to its metal front talons kneading against the floor, settling into position. The lion, or rather the Gryphonmon, lowered itself to pounce.

Izzy turned, shouted, and dove, tackling Nene out of the way just as Gryphonmon crashed through the middle two shelves. His digivice wailed into action, but he stayed on Nene, cradling her head. Books fell from the shelf onto his back, but he worried more about Gryphonmon's next move.

"Electro Shocker!" Kabuterimon's attack connected, but only annoyed it. That was all Izzy needed it to do.

"Oblivion Cannon!" Beelzemon's attack from the other side did more, even if it destroyed most of the shelves in the wing.

Gryphonmon left Kabuterimon and the two humans alone and faced the rotunda. "Solo Roar!" The ensuing sound wave kept anyone else at bay and gave it a clear path to the exit. It lunged forward, unsheathing its wings, knocking more shelves over as it crashed through the front door and out. Izzy and Nene were too stunned to move.

Zoe reached them first as Rei, Hackmon, and Mervamon guarded the door against a possible return. "Is everyone okay?!"

Izzy released Nene from his headlock, hovering over her, his hands shaking. She stared back, her eyes wide and her chest heaving. "You… saved my life…"

"Yes, well…" Izzy wasn't sure how to respond. Life saving was a regular duty in their line of work. He rode with it, suspecting some sort of shock. His heart rate was equally elevated.

Just as he tried to distract himself with the logical implications of Gryphonmon's presence, Nene's hands shot up and clasped each side of his face, pulling herself up to meet him with a kiss, open and inescapable. Stunned as he was, he saw no alternative but to close his eyes, breathe it in, and enjoy it. She released after a couple seconds, falling back to the floor, still panting but no longer making eye contact.

Izzy pushed himself off her and sat up, scared to look back. Looking at Zoe was a worse idea, as she was mortified, her eyes wide and her mouth grasping for words. He searched for some himself, before stumbling into, "Well, that was curious."

"Curious?" Zoe asked. "She she she… just…"

"I meant Gryphonmon!" he blurted, coughing to compose himself. "Why was it hiding there in the first place? And why did it run?"

"How strong was it?" asked Haru. Izzy hadn't noticed him picking through the ruined shelves.

"Mega." He blinked. "Caught by surprise the way we were… it could have been a real problem for us." He stared at the open doorway, too many things in his head to ponder. Not all of them had to do with Gryphonmon.

* * *

TK Takaishi stared at the communications terminal as it reported the lack of interesting activity to match the sounds of not much happening. He had never found the job boring before, especially as Kari's backup. The sudden apathy didn't alarm him even if he was cognizant of it. Worry suggested he didn't know where it came from or the possible consequences of slipping further. TK was aware of both, which only annoyed him. How did one date a month ago ruin his groove this much?

Everything played out in his head, a nonstop marathon of his and Catherine's tropical playground. He saw the two of them alone at the waterfall after dark. The light of the moons guided them, reflecting off the pool below and twinkling off the waterfall. They were shy at first. Catherine dipped her toes into the water, nodding as she gracefully let her dress fall, exposing a modest two-piece swimsuit. She dove in like a dolphin, her swimming stroke almost as natural. Once she beckoned him in, TK disrobed to his trunks and jumped in with a huge splash that reached her hair. She giggled, splashed him back, and the fun began.

It was so easy to recall the escalating kissing, the cautious but excited stripping, and the gentle but firm way he guided her to shore, and laid her on the grass. The two explored everything as they joined in a new, yet familiar and comfortable adventure. They lost track of time in each other's arms, surprised and bashful when the sun came up and forced them to scurry home.

Everything was so perfect. Why couldn't the actual date happen like that?

Even the moonlight failed to cooperate. The three moons moved in independent phases, so seeing only two was common enough. That night, all three failed to appear, making the night perilously dark. If Catherine hadn't had the foresight to bring a flashlight they might not have made it to the waterfall at all.

It didn't help when she tried to test the water with her toes, leaning too far forward and stumbling in fully dressed. When she flailed around, TK pulled off his shirt and leaped in after her, only for the cold mountain spring water to sting him halfway to paralysis. He braved it to save her, stumbling his way through unbuckling her wet dress in the dark. Pulling it off posed another challenge as it kept getting tangled in her hair.

They managed to remove the dress and finally found each other alone under the waterfall. Unfortunately, the dress wasn't the source of her difficulty: Catherine had never learned how to tread water properly. The flailing and uncoordinated kicks were normal for her. This ruled out most of the shenanigans TK had in mind. After a few minutes of uncomfortable swimming in the chilly water, they shrugged and returned to shore.

Despite all this, they were in good spirits. Splayed out on the grass, joking about hypothermia, the connection was still there. Their kiss endured everything, powerful and long and everything he imagined. The darkness prevented him from seeing her eyes, but he imagined eagerness and rolled on top of her, kissing not only her mouth but…

Actually, it was just her mouth. He knew at some point he should have tried straying down to her neck and beyond, but he wasn't sure how to execute this transition. So he stayed in established territory, even as the prolonged making out grew tiresome and overworked the same muscles. He was relieved when she pushed him up to catch her breath.

"So, uh, where to now?" he asked, doing his best to be alluring and not let on that he really wanted to know.

She reacted with a coy smile and equal uncertainty. "I'm not sure."

The sudden blinding light in their faces answered for them. Instead of the sun, it was Thomas's flashlight. Apparently he and Gaomon had been outside to witness the rare alignment of three new moons. Their frolicking interrupted his eager viewing of nothing in triplicate.

A long lecture about going outside without Digimon and a short administrative suspension later, TK lacked the motivation to try it again. They still ate together from time to time, even adding some half-hearted flirting. At no point did they either bring up the disastrous waterfall date or plan another one.

It pained him to be able to script out perfection, only for reality to disappoint. They could pretend to be two coy lovers connecting in explosive bliss, but in real life they were awkward newbies with inconsistent prior histories who had barely met in person and unsure what they were supposed to be doing or how to go about it.

The message flashing on his screen at least offered to drag his thoughts elsewhere. Still, he narrowed his eyes at it: "HI TK!" Someone knew he'd be at Kari's desk and was apparently excited.

It came from the new settlement. "Megumi?" he typed back.

"lol guess again :*"

"Catherine?" He realized after he hit send it might be Kari, but the kissing emoticon would have meant curious implications.

"Megumi and dats are meeting with your team so I'm trying out the comm system while noones looking :)"

TK restrained a snicker, glancing at Thomas next to him. "Miss me that bad, huh?" he typed.

"Actually checking the comm system but I'll let you believe that"

"At least you won't be sad when you move." He paused, rethinking his words. Before sending, and with a wide smirk, he changed it to "I'm glad to hear you won't be heartbroken when you leave me."

Her response came fast: "Saves me from more waterfall dates :p" He cupped his mouth and turned away from Thomas. A month of awkwardness and now she went there with no hesitation. This was fun.

"In my head that date goes a lot better. I should share it with you sometime." This time he sent the message too soon. He didn't actually want to recount his imaginary date. Over a chat, sure, but to her face?

"Guess I have to sneak on here again ;)"

TK stared at the screen for a while. He did want her to sneak on again. Thomas's awkward presence aside, this was the relationship with Catherine he was familiar with. He loved the idea of their relationship maturing the way she had described it. Even if their face-to-face interactions were doomed to be bogged down by inexperience and happenstance, sharing words in an online chat let him paint his own pictures and craft his own reality.

When he didn't respond, she added, "I might push to get the reps laptops to keep in touch. We could have private chat rooms."

He grinned from ear to ear and typed back, "I'll do what I can to get our guys on board with that."

* * *

Mikey Kudo stared across the field at the advancing army, his fate marching ahead despite his wishes. Since giving away their presence to Marsmon's army and the D-Brigade a month ago, everyone braced for a response. In the following weeks, he found a defensible location close enough to give him time to develop a suitable formation after the radar picked up the attack. The D-Brigade crawled across the grass, their slow pace perhaps explaining why it took so long.

He, Christopher, and Tagiru waited behind a thin line of trees ahead of the mountains. The pass prevented the enemy from attacking with any width, leaving a nice narrow parade of Commandramon and Sealsdramon for the Fusion Fighters United army to pick off. The Tankdramon at the front, center, and rear of the line posed bigger threats, but nothing about the formation looked unmanageable. The trio kept their cover, waiting for the first Tankdramon to get in range.

"How about one quick pass?" Tagiru pleaded. "Give 'em a couple warning shots." Mikey shook his head, gritting his teeth to avoid saying anything too harsh. Lacking a head for tactics wasn't a crime, he reminded himself… even if Tagiru's tactless actions were the genesis of the assault to begin with. Also, they did intend on a warning shot, just something safer and more forceful than an Arresterdramon flyover.

When the first Tankdramon touched grass, Mikey gave Christopher the signal. Out popped MetalGreymon, evolving to ZekeGreymon a moment later. "Hyper Launcher!" The shell launched out of his back so quickly the Tankdramon had no time to maneuver or allow any support troops to block it. It took the full brunt of the hit, immobilizing it instantly and creating an obstacle for the rest of the army to march around.

"Now!" Mikey shouted, reloading several Digimon and marching them forward. Christopher followed suit as ZekeGreymon provided suppressive fire with his railgun arm.

Tagiru stared in awe. "We can send out multiple Digimon?"

Mikey couldn't help but throw him look of confusion. "Did you think we were going to stop these guys with just three Digimon?"

Face lit with excitement, Tagiru reloaded his whole stockpile of collected Digimon and sent them ahead. Then he ran out to collect the Pagumon that bounced around being useless, the Phelesmon standing in place acting menacing, and the Betsumon psyching out Dorulumon by posing as Cutemon.

Still, the addition of MetalTyrannomon, Dragomon, and GigaBreakdramon made it impossible for the D-Brigade to break through. Once Tagiru got his less cooperative Digimon under control, he returned to the tree line and flashed a toothy smile at Mikey. Mikey shrugged and grinned back.

It was a nasty battle, one the enemy refused to retreat from, but at least Isthmian would be kept safe with no casualties on their end. If this was the consequence of their lack of discretion a month ago, Mikey could live with it.

Just as he let himself admire Harpymon diving down and snatching a Sealsdramon off the ground, another Digimon flew over the mountain and past everybody. This wasn't a D-Brigade member, but a Gryphonmon with no time to bother with the fight below. Mikey and Christopher ducked back behind their trees, no defenses strong enough to stop a speedy Mega level Digimon from shooting past them, straight for the castle.

* * *

Koji Minamoto swore to himself as the radar picked up the Digimon zipping past Mikey's defensive line. Rather than wait for Miki to identify it, he shouted, "Matt, intercept!" Whatever it was, one of Gabumon's forms would be able to handle it. Matt rushed out of the situation room.

An alarm from the computer interrupted Miki's identification. When she checked it, Takuya barked, "It's telling you whatever's attacking is attacking. We already know that!"

"This is new," Miki snapped back. "Digimon approaching from the north and northwest."

"And northwest?" Koji repeated.

The ceiling rattled, echoing the sound of shattering glass, amplified a hundred times.

"Did something land in the courtyard?" asked Takuya.

Koji didn't wait for confirmation, slamming a button to sound an alarm through the entire castle. As he ran out, Takuya hopped on the intercom. Through loudspeakers, his voice rang through the castle over the emergency signal: "Everybody: we're under attack! Report to the main doorway with your Digimon."

Pushing against a few hunters running in from the courtyard, Koji ran out, one hand on his D-Tector. By the time he got there, it was almost deserted, save for Ryouma, standing in place in front of a patch of shattered ice.

"Can't you listen?!" Koji shouted, yanking his shoulder into forced eye contact. Ryouma's eyes were wide open but vacant, his mouth open but silent. "What happened?"

A few blinks snapped him back into reality. "Ice arrow," he mumbled. "Landed in front of me."

Koji looked up at the clear afternoon sky. The first thing to catch his eye was a crescent moon, out of place in the daytime and lacking any of the colors or patterns he was used to. He fixated on it for too long, disrupted when he heard the bellows of an attacking force flying over the wall. A dozen Hippogriffomon charged forward, firing Heat Wave attacks at anything resembling a target. Moving targets like Koji and Ryouma were popular choices.

"Execute- Fusion Evolution!" shouted Koji, jumping in front of Ryouma and braving the burning air long enough to become Beowulfmon. The wind cooked his fur but he withstood. If he couldn't handle it as a Digimon, Ryouma wouldn't have a chance.

By now he had company: the hunters and their Digimon rushed out to meet the invaders. Two Hippogriffomon stayed on Beowulfmon, speeding at him with exposed talons. He parried one attack with his saber and fired missiles at the second. Both connected, but neither destroyed. He tried to rear his saber back for a forward thrust, but sensed Ryouma right behind him.

"Back up! Give me space!" He lacked the freedom to see if Ryouma complied. It didn't matter; a third enemy rammed him from the side, slashing his armor and knocking him to the ground. While on his back, he fired a round of missiles to hold it off and get to his feet, claw marks stinging his torso. Another Heat Wave hit him from a different direction, nearly overwhelming him again. Exhausted already, he summoned enough energy to bound forward, grab Ryouma under one arm and sprint back inside, absorbing another hit along the way.

The front doors had been blown off their hinges so their comfort was only relative. Koji dropped Ryouma and turned human again, prostrate on the floor gasping for air. Nothing hurt severely enough to keep him out of the fight, but the sudden attack from multiple directions, heat exposure, and need to keep Ryouma alive wore him down faster than usual. Ryouma hovered over him, silent.

"You want to be useful? Stop standing around and find some water." Koji spat, loud and fast, unsure how cooperative his voice would be.

Ryouma chuckled, far too smug for someone attacked by giant horse birds. "You lied during your hostage negotiation. Finding out where you hid your Digimon was absolutely worth it."

"What?" A blast against the castle wall drew Ryouma's attention away, but didn't send him running for shelter. In fact it drew him closer to the naked doorway and the chaos in the courtyard.

Koji forced himself upright and and joined him. They weren't alone. Several hunters decided against accompanying their Digimon in battle. "You know Matt says they do better when their partners are closer," he called out to the hunters.

"Pass," Ren said with a scoff. "Yasyamon's got this." A Hippogriffomon swatted Yasyamon into the pool. Ren rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Koji wasn't going to lecture. He didn't know enough about the human-Digimon dynamic when the two were separate entities. "Can you at least do something? A fusion or whatever?"

Ren glared at the battlefield, stalling for a moment before holding his loader out. "Yasyamon! Pteramon! Digifuse!" The resulting fusion gave armored wings to the swordsman. He leaped into the air and hovered, firing aimless missiles everywhere. Most hit enemies. Some added more damage to the already pocked walls and singed grass. One hit an Allomon… one of the few carrying his hunter.

A final stray missile veered towards the doorway. Koji's reflexes made him roll for cover, but he collided with Ryouma. He tackled him to the ground as the missile flew through the door and slammed against the wall inside.

Sprawled on top of him, Koji moaned, "Didn't you get the clue that you shouldn't be up here right now?"

Ryouma didn't look back, but raised his eyebrows. "I'm okay. I appreciate your concern."

"Huh?" Koji rose to his knees.

Pulling away and sitting up, Ryouma said, "That's three times you've saved my life in the last five minutes." He smirked. "Careful or I'll read into that."

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

Ren piped in from across the hall: "I've been wondering that for six years."

Koji dusted himself off and re-assessed the battlefield. The hunters' Digimon attacked whichever enemy was closer with no organization or teamwork. All of the hunters, to a man, only reloaded one Digimon from their team, and even after Ren and Yasyamon demonstrated its effectiveness (or at least the increased power), only one other bothered with a digifuse. The team everyone assumed would provide the crucial numbers needed to defend Isthmian from these sorts of attacks was an inexperienced, dysfunctional mess.

Still, the sheer power of some of the Digimon on their side kept them from being overrun. Champions, even a couple Ultimates, lent themselves to the cause without hesitation. Takuya and Sora's expertise provided enough field leadership to maintain an advantage.

At least they did until a beam of light descended from the sky, landed on Hououmon and Sora, and dropped them.

"Sora!" Aldamon shoved off his opposition and rushed to them. "Hey, wake up!" His Hippogriffomon prevented any further care.

Koji stepped out into the open and looked up again. The moon was still there, only now it jostled around, sweeping over the castle, eying more targets. Koji glared back at Ryouma one last time. He really could have used that drink.

"Unity Execute! Unified Spirit Evolution!" MagnaGarurumon flew at the moon, not waiting to see what it really was. "Starburst Hunter!" He shot through the moon at light speed, intent on destroying anything in his path. When he turned around, the enemy Digimon had avoided it and turned her sights on him.

"Arrow of Artemis!" Dianamon fired an ice arrow at him. He dodged. The heat from the prior fights still burned in his head, but he held his position. If it kept her from targeting the battle below, this fight was worth it.

* * *

Matt Ishida rapped his knuckles against his pants, seething at MetalGarurumon's inability to unlock Gryphonmon's patterns and land a decent hit. Of course Gyphonmon was nimble—it had gotten past Mikey's army after all—but its acceleration and direction changes kept MetalGarurumon off guard. Matt was confident his partner could blow it away with one clean shot, and he absorbed Gryphonmon's attacks with little struggle, but getting to that point proved difficult.

Gyphonmon anticipated a charge and dashed around to get behind its opponent. "Mobius Bite!" Its tail bit MetalGarurumon's hind leg, forcing it to yelp in pain but doing nothing to hinder him. Still, Matt sneered and shook his head, eyes rolling up.

Above him, MagnaGarurumon had similar problems against Dianamon, at least as far as the specks in the stratosphere told him. With the rest of the castle occupied inside, they couldn't count on any support. Besides, Matt and Koji had two of the strongest Digimon at Isthmian and shouldn't have needed the help. Not that they'd ask for it anyway.

After an unsuccessful sweep, MetalGarurumon landed to orient himself better. Gryphonmon was ready: "Solo Roar!" MetalGarurumon braced himself for the sound wave, trying to absorb it as he had a few times already. Instead his hind leg gave out on him. Matt saw the bite injury pulse and condense as if an invisible magnifying glass hovered over it. Gryphonmon pounced on him, scratching at his back and torso with its talons, careful to stay away from its mouth.

"Metal Wolf Claw!" Gryphonmon flew up in plenty of time to avoid the blast, then dove in again to bother him more, driving him to the ground, his leg no longer able to support his weight. Matt couldn't see a way out. He just gritted his teeth and trusted his partner to find an opening.

He got one, but not without help: "Moon Fang!" Shawjamon charged in with his staff, stabbing Gryphonmon's flank. It hovered in the air, circling around to swat the staff out of its skin. When he finally did, Shawjamon caught it and spun it around. "Hydro Tornado!" The waterspout prevented an immediate counterattack and gave MetalGarurumon time to get to his feet.

Yushima strolled up to Matt. "Thought I'd pop outside for a smoke."

"How did you get out here?"

"Easy to sneak out with all the chaos. Especially after whatever Koji's fighting up there put Sora and her partner to sleep."

"Sora?" Matt looked at the wall, imagining the trouble on the other side. Only another attempted hit on MetalGarurumon pulled him back, reluctantly.

Yushima chuckled. "You're lucky I'm too old for gossip."

"Shut up," moaned Matt.

If he wasn't annoyed by Yushima's insinuation, the continued failure to end Gryphonmon did the trick. With a new opponent in the mix, Gryphonmon rose higher, reducing Shawjamon's impact and putting the load on MetalGarurumon again.

To his relief, and some indignity, more help came in from the other end when OmniShoutmon flew straight at Gryphonmon. Just as Gryphonmon prepped another attack on MetalGarurumon, he struck: "Heavy Metal Vulcan!" The extended fire caught the enemy off guard, denied the attack, and gave OmniShoutmon room to fly in closer.

Mikey sprinted under the fight and joined Matt and Yushima. "What happened to the front line?" asked Matt.

"Christopher's got that. I couldn't let this guy cause any trouble after letting it get past me."

"You're a bit late."

Still, this was the difference they needed. MetalGarurumon had time to unleash his full payload on Gryphonmon. The enemy guarded enough to survive, but suffered enough to take the hint. He fled over the ocean and out of sight.

"See, happy to help," said Mikey.

Matt didn't pause to celebrate. He looked at the battle above again, still a stalemate. MetalGarurumon hovered in the air, waiting for the next order. Matt gave it, and his partner shot into the sky.

* * *

Christopher Aonuma suspected something was off. Even with Mikey and OmniShoutmon away, he and Tagiru neutralized the D-Brigade threat. The thinning numbers made the outcome a formality, and he grew tired of Mikey's insistence on only killing when each troop pushed beyond the point of reason. Despite a hundred dead Commandramon, the message wasn't getting through. Arresterdramon wrapped himself around a Sealsdramon and demanded surrender. He waited long enough for an answer. The Sealsdramon refused. Tagiru groaned in frustration, turned to Christopher for a shrugging nod, then gave the order.

If this was really an organized regiment sweeping the northern continent, somebody intelligent had to be in charge. No military commander worth their salt would sacrifice so many troops to a hopeless cause. There had to be something bigger in play here. The Gryphonmon came to mind, but it wasn't part of the D-Brigade ranks. Even if it was working with them, losing an entire battalion to allow one Digimon through was stupid, especially when Isthmian had plenty of options to fend Gryphonmon off. Mikey's pursuit was only a precaution. Even if that was the plan, it had already been executed. Why continue?

The war horn from up the mountain pass didn't surprise Christopher. The D-Brigade, exhausting and relentless, was the undercard fight. The main event saw Merukimon rush downhill with his squadron of Bullmon. The captain charged ahead, heading straight at ZekeGreymon and knocking him into the air.

"Tagiru!" Christopher barked. "Mop up the D-Brigade with the rest of Mikey's team. My guys need to focus on him."

"C'mon, I want a rematch!" Tagiru moaned.

"No you don't." If ZekeGreymon wasn't strong enough, Arresterdramon wouldn't have a chance.

The entire Blue Flare army probably wasn't enough, but it was all Christopher had. He needed Mikey back to at least offer a challenge with Shoutmon DX. Without him, the odds of holding the line were terrible.

In fact, with so many formidable Digimon behind the line, what was the point of holding it? Much as it frustrated Christopher to admit defeat, he also wasn't stupid enough to get his whole army killed when someone else could handle the job more easily. He activated the communicator on his Fusion Loader and radioed home: "Merukimon just showed up. We should fall back. Who's ready to go back there?"

"What?! Are you kidding me?" The male voice on the other end was certainly not Miki and didn't sound like any of the top brass. "We're getting raided! Everyone else is fighting!"

"So who's this then?"

After a long pause, he got his answer: "It's Jeremy! You don't recognize my voice? We're on the same team!"

"We have a Jeremy?"

"Yes, and you better take care of your end! I dunno if we can take any more!"

Christopher grunted and ended the conversation. A second simultaneous attack on the castle was not only terrible news, it changed the math on the D-Brigade's strategy. They were the diversion to draw out defenders, a ploy he and Mikey drove right into.

In addition, this was the only land-based route to the castle. Another attack would have to come from the air or water, beyond the D-Brigade's capacities. That, plus Merukimon's presence, meant an even worse scenario than everyone at Isthmian imagined. When Keenan reported an agreement between the D-Brigade and Marsmon's army, everyone imagined a mutual defense agreement in the event of more "human invaders." More optimistic views imagined an outright ceasefire.

The two sides uniting to take the offensive in a combined, coordinated assault? They feared it, but considered it unfeasible: two warring sides didn't abandon their respective causes or mutual loathing to join together overnight. For them to be capable of it was frightening not only in their force, but also their dispassionate concern for their purpose or their armies. Christopher could get behind war resulting from an effort to secure desired resources or an escalated disagreement. To forget both when a new target arrives meant they fought for less noble reasons.

All monpower bent on containing Merukimon freed some of the Bullmon to continue forward to disrupt Tagiru's team. A number of them pulled away the MetalTyrannomon fighting the lone Tankdramon remaining. The Tankdramon peeled away and treaded towards the castle. It moved steadily, but this was hardly Gryffonmon zipping across the field.

"Tagiru, get someone back on him!" Christopher shouted.

Tagiru grimaced watching the giant tank plow towards them, but the Bullmon and the last of the Commandramon and Sealsdramon occupied all his useful Digimon. He turned back to Christopher and forced a nervous smile. "He's not going anywhere. We'll get someone on him eventually."

Christopher stared at Tankdramon again. It was sloppy, but Tagiru wasn't exactly wrong… "Just get out of its way."

Giving it a wide berth as it trudged up the hill, they turned their attention to the lack of progress in the two battles ahead. Deckerdramon's intervention was the only thing keeping ZekeGreymon alive against Merukimon, leaving a thin line only able to force the remaining Bullmon to a stalemate.

Something needed to break, but panic struck Christopher when the loud marching from beyond signaled more arrivals. Did the enemy have even more force to commit to this? No way could Blue Flare survive it. Eyes steeled on the top of the pass, Christopher drew a deep breath, ready to cry retreat whether Isthmian could handle it or not.

He nearly choked when Sparrowmon flew in first, Nene riding atop her. "Lightning Lasers!" Her flailing laser fire disrupted the line of Bullmon. Globemon, Revivemon, and Zephyrmon flew in next, all launching attacks on Merukimon. He dashed out of the way in time, only to get a headbutt in the gut from ZekeGreymon. Merukimon hopped to his feet in time to see the final piece of the cavalry, HerculesKabuterimon, lumbering over the hill carrying Izzy, Haru, and Rei.

With so many reinforcements closing in, Merukimon surveyed the battle for just a moment before shouting, "Retreat!" He dashed over the mountains, past everybody, without confirming if his army had received the command.

Some did. Sparrowmon fired at them anyway until Haru shouted, "They're pulling back, let them go."

She obeyed, but moaned, "Great, now you go soft on us." Nene gave her a gentle scolding.

Besides, they still had some work to do. They helped Blue Flare dispose of the Bullmon who hadn't heard and the remaining Sealsdramon still giving Dorulumon or Tagiru's team a hard time. This didn't take long.

With the enemies gone, the full-time humans on the investigation team landed. As Christopher silently suffered Nene teasing her need to bail him out, Tagiru fully welcomed the rescuing party, holding both hands up for a high-five. "Hey, just in time!"

Haru obliged, a big grin on his face. "We were tracking a Gryphonmon that got past us. Sounded like you were in trouble."

"Nah, we were fine, just sped things up. Better get that one slowpoke that snuck past us though."

"Which…" Rei looked ahead to see the tail end of the Tankdramon.

It neither continued forward, nor attempted to retreat. Instead it stayed in place, cannon in position. It had charged long enough.

"Zeke Flame!" ZekeGreymon shot at it, but too late to prevent its attack.

"Striver Cannon!" It shouted before the flames arrived. The shell shot forward with plenty of propulsion to cover the scant couple miles to the walls of Isthmian.

"Incoming!" Christopher shouted at his Fusion Loader. He doubted Jeremy or anyone listening had time to react. The blinding white flash in the distance brought him to his knees. The sound from the explosion arrived seconds later.

* * *

Miki Kurosaki flailed around for her partner, shouting his name with equal parts anger and fear. When Mikey shouted from outside about the incoming bomb, all the sane people and Digimon took cover. They had just thinned out the Hippogriffomon fleet enough to send the remaining few scurrying, while the two Garurumon Megas scared Dianamon away. The collective sigh of relief lasted just a few moments before panic set in again. Miki tried to find shelter like everyone else. RookChessmon had other ideas, standing tall and reinforcing the section of wall the bomb would impact.

Like an idiot, she watched her partner's bravery and stared straight at the blast. She saw her partner rocketed backwards as everything flashed white, burning into her eyes and refusing to fade back to reality. The explosion rang through her ears, but at least she heard muffled shouts underneath it. Even with her sight gone, her face scorched, and her hearing limited, her main concern was her partner.

"PawnChessmon!" she barely heard herself shout, despite screaming as loud as she could. Miki crawled to where she imagined him landing, feeling around the ground, getting dirt, pieces of wall, and the occasional burn from open flame. She rubbed something round and smooth, her hope rising as she imagined which parts of PawnChessmon's anatomy this could be. It crashed when she found no spikes or joints: it was a large egg.

Her sight eased its way back. The stinging made it painful to use, but she needed to find her partner. Through fuzzy squinting, she recognized the sheen of a black chess piece buried halfway in the dirt. Miki cradled him and begged him to do anything to prove he was alive. She exhaled when he raised an arm, waving it long enough enough to show her he'd survive.

Survival was the rosiest way to describe the battle's outcome. The bomb had taken out entire sections of the wall, raining rock across the courtyard and the pool. Fighting the Hippogriffomon tore up most of the grass, and even the stone path. Pockmarks covered the walls, and shrubs alongside it still burned. Along with the dozens of exhausted Digimon, several digieggs littered the ground, all waiting for their hunters to claim them.

They crawled out of the keep, rushing to their Digimon's aid, some smart enough to load them to begin revitalization. Others weren't as lucky, standing or crouching over their digieggs. Some put their hands on the eggs, some stone-faced, others struggling to fight tears. At some point, they all looked around for answers.

Nursing a bleeding shoulder, Sora wandered the courtyard with reassuring pats. She didn't say anything, and pointed to her ear when spoken to. One hunter fell on her egg and sobbed wildly. Miki only barely picked up the wailing. Sora ran over and, despite her own injury, embraced the poor girl, patting the egg and trying to offer verbal reassurances.

Above the static, Miki made out shouting. Everyone at once looked to the wall, Takuya running towards it, tugging the gate controls until it opened. Mikey rushed in with a bloody forehead, an obvious limp, and a shard of metal sticking out of his upper arm. In spite of this, he helped Matt and Shoutmon carry in an unconscious Yushima.

"Commander-General!" she cried, barreling her way around wall debris and anxious hunters to reach Yushima. "What happened?" She couldn't make out what Matt shouted back until he grunted and pointed to the keep. She took over for Mikey, and helped Matt and Shoutmon rush him in.

As they carried him, Mikey checked for a pulse, staring at him with wide-eyed concern. He felt under his shirt for a heartbeat, instincts bringing an ear to his chest, not that he could hear at all. Mikey stood straight, teeth gritted. For the first time, he flinched as his own injuries.

When Sora saw what Mikey was doing, and his reaction, she rushed into the castle, returning with a supply cart just as they got Yushima indoors. She cut his shirt open, arguing with Mikey over whose injuries made CPR impossible. Panic and mutual hearing loss raised their voices even higher. Takuya barked for space, clearing the hallway of on-lookers.

Miki refused to budge. With Yushima's life in the hands of two damaged kids she doubted had much medical experience, she braced for the worst.

* * *

Joe Kido had no idea what awaited him and Thomas at Isthmian Castle. He only knew it would be bad. The urgent distress call didn't ask for additional force or assistance. They weren't worried about any of that and doubted it would arrive in time to help. Instead they asked for a medical team to treat potential injuries to humans. For all the times Isthmian had been attacked, this kind of request had never happened, especially before the battle had even started.

Without clues to the severity, his mind pestered him with nasty scenarios on Imperialdramon's back. There was the chance of a fire tearing through everything and everybody. There was the enemy ignoring the defending Digimon and targeting humans instead. There was the castle being overrun and still occupied by enemies and forcing Imperialdramon, Gomamon, and Gaomon's intervention. He kept looking over Davis's shoulder for updates. For most of the trip he had nothing to report.

Just past the halfway point, just after the lack of bad news left him annoyed at the possibility this trip was for nothing, it dropped: bombing damage, multiple blast injuries, one life-threatening.

As Davis looked up, sharing Joe's concerned expression. Behind them, Thomas asked, "Life threatening? Any details?"

By the time they got a response, Isthmian was almost in view. "No pulse, CPR difficult," Davis read.

"Difficult? Who can do CPR there?"

"Uh… over there?" replied Joe. "Sora… Mikey… jeez, is that it?" He insisted every field team have someone trained, but Cody's recent jumping between the three teams threw his preparations out of whack.

"They have an AED, right?"

"Without CPR it may not help."

Thomas looked over at their case of equipment. Despite the handles and wheels, getting the heavy case on board was a pain. Now it seemed small and inadequate.

They saw the smoke before the castle. The giant hole in a wall sent ripples through the rest. The smoldering fires in the courtyard, and black marks everywhere made Joe queasy. It had been years since he'd witnessed this kind of damage, and to see it done to an outpost so new seemed wrong. He had suffered through close calls before, but this was the first time all the signs said the same thing: this could be the one.

For all his urgency hopping off Imperialdramon with the case and rushing into the large closet with the castle's medical equipment, Thomas froze when he saw Yushima on the table. For Joe it was Sora on her knees, away from her patient's body, clutching her bloody shoulder in tears as Takuya desperately comforted her.

Takuya started, "We're trying but…"

"I did it as long as I could… it hurts…" Sora sobbed.

Joe forced himself to look at the whole picture. They had gotten him onto a table. Sora's shoulder prevented CPR. They wouldn't be so distraught if it wasn't necessary. "Where's Mikey?" he asked.

Takuya pointed behind the doctors, at Mikey unconscious against the wall, shrapnel in his arm and covered in blood. "He gave it a few tries before passing out," said Takuya.

Joe wasted no time opening the case and pulling out a bag mask, affixing it to Yushima's mouth, eying Thomas as he snapped himself into action to maneuver his hands over Yushima's chest.

"Takuya, set the AED up," said Thomas. Takuya popped open the defibrillator and scanned the instructions as Joe and Thomas began CPR.

"How long has he been out?" asked Joe.

Takuya pulled out the pads. "Maybe like ten minutes? Not too long."

"That's too long," mumbled Thomas between compressions.

Once the defibrillator was in place, Thomas and Joe stepped back to let it scan the patient and deliver a shock. They resumed CPR immediately.

"Wait, what happened?" Takuya asked, obviously expecting a bigger reaction.

"It shocked him. Now we keep going," said Joe.

"It didn't work?"

Thomas shook his head. "It wouldn't have bothered if he didn't have a chance. We have to keep this up."

"For how long?"

"Until he wakes up or…"

Joe kept quiet, but he knew it wasn't that simple. They couldn't do this much longer. It only kept him alive long enough to try to figure out what the problem was. How were they supposed to do that? This process demanded constant attention. Even if they had hands to spare, their diagnostic equipment was limited to basic tools and an old X-ray machine. They had no life support system, limited treatment options, and their fanciest machines were back home. He could pump the bag in his sleep, but it only made his thoughts clearer.

"Thomas, what's the plan here?" he asked, slowing the pace of his squeezing.

"Don't you know what to do?"

"You mean other than keep him alive?" He noticed how pale Yushima's skin had become. A whole range of things could cause that, with just as many treatment possibilities. Joe was only capable of a couple.

"Uh, this says to stand back," said Takuya. Joe pulled off the mask as he and Thomas obeyed. Nothing happened. They waited for another shock or more instructions, but got only a dreadful silence. Sora forced herself to her feet, leaning on Takuya. Her tears hadn't stopped.

"Joe, switch," said Thomas, swinging around and reaching for the mask.

"Hold on." Joe felt for Yushima's pulse, ignoring the calls from Thomas and Takuya not to touch him. It was cold.

All his doubts were gone now, yet he still didn't know what to do. Takuya had too much pride on the line to give up and Thomas wouldn't abandon a fellow DATS member. Inevitable as it was, Joe couldn't bring himself to say it. He begged for someone else to accept it as well.

Someone answered his wish: Yushima's feet dematerialized into cubes of data, floating upwards and dissipating into nothing.

"No! Hang on!" shouted Takuya.

"Commander-General!" echoed Thomas, clutching the edge of the table.

Joe remained silent, holding Yushima's hand as the rest of his body destabilized into the air. As Thomas watched in shock and Sora buried her head in Takuya's shoulder as he continued to plea, Joe's stomach churned. Not at the first human death in this Digital World or his failure to stop it, but at his gut feeling as he watched it happen:

Relief.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 9:** **"Go Viral"**  
Takuya, Joe, and others cope with the recent death and its implications. Zoe confronts Nene about the circumstances and aftermath of her kiss. Daigo stumbles into a friendship with Tagiru, who clues him into a secret.

" _Are you really so surprised everybody's handling this like an adult?"_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Their actual conversation ended up cut due to length/pacing concerns (and a massive continuity reach), but the reference to Steve and Kari having struck a friendship post-02 is a subtle nod to my earlier Connection trilogy, where they ended up married.

As cheap as the drama looks from here, all I can really say about the Izzy/Nene moment is a guarantee that it won't go in the direction you expect.

The reaction to MetalGarurumon's leg is due to Gryphonmon's Solo Roar attack disrupting his data when combined with the previous bite. Gryphonmon is another underused Digimon, with only brief, unmemorable appearances in Tamers and Frontier.

As devastating as its bomb was, Tankdramon was actually nerfed a bit in this chapter. His Striver Cannon attack is said to have the power of a small nuclear bomb and probably could have leveled Isthmian completely. Official explanation is that RookChessmon softened the worst of the blow, but it's not like the damage they did take wasn't severe.

This will be explored at length next chapter, but a big takeaway of Yushima's death is the usual conventions of dramatic life-saving scenes failing in favor of reality. Emergency AED devices only work when a faint pulse is detected and don't give massive shocks like TV hospital paddles. The relative inexperience of everybody in the room made it difficult to diagnose the exact cause of cardiac arrest or even the moment of inevitability. Even having a human death at all is jarring and a little random given that Tai's team had been in this Digital World almost 13 years and faced many equally dangerous situations with no permanent casualties. Joe has a lot to think about.


	9. Go Viral

**Nexusworld**

 _Everyone_ _'s gonna see just who you are._  
 _And everywhere they're gonna stop and stare,_  
 _'Cause what you are is a shooting star._  
 _And nothing flies higher than a shooting star!_  
 _\- Paul & Storm, __"Go Viral"_

 **Episode 9**

Tai Kamiya's eyes crossed the room at the ten other people seated around the conference table at Isthmian. This sort of meeting—six leaders, three of Isthmian's top brass, another officer from home, and one stand-in while Thomas continued to treat victims—had no precedent. This was frustrating since Tai wasn't sure who was supposed to take charge or how they were supposed to come to any agreements.

All of the murmurs around the room were relevant. Tai stood, not so much to quiet them but to save them for the proper meeting. "Okay, um… thanks everyone for coming up here on such short notice. Obviously this is a bad situation. We've never lost anyone before. So what do we need to do going forward?"

"Uh, Tai?" Takato raised a tentative hand. "If we're getting all the leaders here, shouldn't we get Haru and the others?"

Staring blankly past Takato at the wall, Tai hesitated. The last meeting between the leaders had been so dominated by the new settlement plans they had to table who among the new group "counted" as leaders. "Yeah… we're still working on that." He wasn't satisfied by his answer since there was no doubt Haru counted.

"There's no more room in here anyway. Let's go," said Koji. Tai found this answer far more to his liking.

"Right, so… I guess the first thing to ask is what happened?"

"To Yushima or the castle?" asked Miki, taking notes on a laptop.

"Well… both. Guess we can start with Yushima."

"Mikey was closest to him." Koji stared at Mikey, still trained on Tai.

Once he saw everyone's eyes on him, he said, "Oh, uh, I don't know. I was as close to the blast as he was. Can't believe I'm fine and he's…" He scratched his bandaged arm and shuddered.

Takuya sighed. "Well, he said he was wearing down the other day. Could that matter?"

"Of course," said Izzy, Thomas's fill-in. He had the job of speaking for the doctors, keeping his head down as he tried to parrot the information. "Joe knew he had a weak heart. Being that close likely triggered some other trauma it couldn't handle. Unfortunately, they can't do an autopsy."

Matt shook his head. "They could have saved him if they'd already been here when it happened, right?"

"Uh…" Izzy's head lowered even more. "Hypothetically. Every minute counts."

"Then why the hell don't we have someone up here to begin with?" Matt pounded the table and turned to Takuya. "Or did you forget about medical emergencies when you planned all this?"

"Hey, we-!" Takuya shot to his feet, seething at Matt. "We have a whole room set up! And we can't make Joe or Thomas move up here! We called them up here as soon as the attack started and Davis got him up here in record time! It's not our fault that wasn't enough."

Matt huffed and turned to Tai. "If any of the international kids are hiding a medical degree I say we move 'em up here."

"Matt, Joe doesn't even have a…" Tai stopped himself. Familiar and cathartic as arguing with Matt was, it wasn't a good look in front of everyone. "I'll ask who they've got," he conceded.

Izzy scratched his chin. "It's actually very curious. We've always theorized that since everything in this world was an ageless digital entity, our injuries are interpretations of our cognition. The way he dissolved after death supports that. But unexpected organ failure, and even an unsuccessful resuscitation, suggests that-"

"Man, give it a rest!" Matt snarled back. Izzy's eyes jumped up to meet Matt's, which he instantly regretted. "Someone just died. Can't you save the science for after the funeral?" Entranced, Izzy stared into the ice before shirking back in his chair, one hand shaking on the table. He glanced at Tai but didn't get anything warmer.

Instead, Tai returned his attention to the whole group: "Okay, how about the attack in general?"

"Alliance between two opposing armies," answered Koji. "They combined to lead multiple attacks on us at once. The bomb came from long-range. A Tankdramon." He turned to Mikey for elaboration, but didn't get one.

"Think they'll come back?"

"Probably. We have to be on guard."

Tai looked down, eyes narrowing. "So we need to figure out a plan…"

"Wait, hold on!" Across the room, Takuya stood. "This doesn't have to be a big discussion! We can figure this out on our own."

Rolling his eyes, Tai looked up at him, ready to explode. "You just lost Yushima and a bunch of Digimon. If you need help-"

"If it weren't for Yushima you guys wouldn't even be here! You have to trust us to handle this!"

"You sure?" Marcus pounded his fist. "I need to wallop whoever did this."

"We all want to wallop them, but this is our job! You guys can't run in and take over the first time we run into trouble."

Now Marcus stood up. "And who else are you going to lose?! You've got Keenan running around up there. What if something happens to him?"

"Takuya's right." Tai's declaration silenced the argument. Marcus glared back but fell into his seat without protest. Which was good because Tai was working off instinct and hadn't yet pieced together exactly why Takuya was right. "We can't drop everything and meet up whenever something happens. We've got enough else going on. The team here can figure this out on their own."

"Then what's the point of getting together like this?" Marcus asked.

"We still need to figure out big picture stuff. Big picture here is not letting these guys kill everybody." Tai shrugged. "If Takuya thinks he can handle that, we need to let him." Takuya slumped in his chair, eyes down.

Koji glared at him before shifting to Tai. "Great, but can we at least get some more firepower?" His voice carried a bitter edge. "The hunters were pretty crap. We'll need better to hold these guys off. Plus we lost five of them." Takuya raised his eyebrows and conceded a nod, not picking up his head.

Tai stared at both of them, not sure how much to read into their conflicting arguments. He just knew he didn't want a fight with them after such a setback to their project. "Guess we'll see what we can do."

He tuned out for the rest of the meeting, mostly centered around the best way to memorialize Yushima, ultimately sticking the service plans on Marcus. More than anything, he was glad to get out of the stuffy, crowded basement room, inhaling the air in the hallway as if it was any better.

As Takuya marched past him, Tai asked, "Hey man, you okay?"

He stopped in an instant, freezing before turning back and stepping right into Tai's face. "What, you tell them you trust me to deal with all this but deep down you don't think I can handle it? We just hit some bad luck, okay?"

Tai recoiled, but stood his ground. "Hey, I just stuck up for you! Isn't that what you wanted? To deal with this your way? Now you've got it. It's your mess. Own it."

He saw the red in Takuya's eyes as they glared back at him. One twitched. He dreaded what would come next out of his clenched teeth, but Takuya jerked away and stormed off down the hallway. Tai shook his head. As immense and unfair a burden as this was, Takuya spent too many years asking for it for Tai not to oblige him.

Somebody approached him from behind. Somehow he knew it was Sora. "How is he?" Even with her arm in a sling she fiddled with the bandage around her wrist.

Tai stared down the hallway Takuya fled down. Another burden for him to pass off. He shook his head and patted her back. "Good luck."

* * *

Thomas Norstein insisted on helping Joe with the follow-up examinations in the wake of the attack. It wasn't that necessary, especially since it was too early to remove casts and bandages. Some patients to deal with had sensory problems that hadn't cleared up the first time they were examined. Others were just follow-ups of less severe injuries. Joe was probably capable of handling them. Something kept Thomas pinned here instead of doing his real job.

"It's looking better already," Joe said to Ren, peering under his bandaged hand. He wrapped it again. "Lucky the brick hit your hand and not your head."

Ren gave him a begrudging thanks and walked out. Joe sat on the exam table. "You don't have to stick around, you know. Isn't there an officers meeting?"

Thomas leaned back against the wall. "Yes, but I'm sure they'll either trivialize Yushima's death or be screaming in panic. Either way I doubt I'll be able to get a word in with all the leaders in the room."

"Tai listens to you." Joe looked at the closed door. "Don't know if he listens to Izzy anymore."

"I'm sure they want a report of what led to Commander-General Yushima's death. I'm not sure they care."

No matter what he could have said, nobody would be comforted by the circumstances leading to the first human death in this Digital World. They'd be hungry for something actionable, some plan of attack that would prevent this from ever happening again. At the very least, they'd demand a scapegoat. He couldn't provide any of those. He refused to doubt Mikey and Sora's lifesaving techniques. Everyone did everything in their power to save Yushima. It wasn't enough.

Joe fell into a chair. "If you want a guess, I would say the blast damaged his lungs and prevented his heart from getting enough oxygen."

Thomas nodded. "Good theory. I wish we could have run tests to confirm."

"I don't." A scowl formed on Joe's face. "He died because he was too close to an explosion. That's the end of it."

"You don't want to know more?" Thomas raised an eyebrow. "I'd feel better with a concrete answer."

"Can't we just move on?" Joe turned away, his hands clutching his slacks. "There wasn't anything we could have done for him anyway."

Holding back a reply, Thomas folded his arms and settled for silence. He wasn't convinced it was hopeless. Experts said that about his sister's condition and he proved them wrong. Between Thomas's years of research and Joe's years of practice, he was confident they could have saved Yushima after stabilizing him. Confirming this, and discovering any mistakes they did make, could prevent it from happening again.

Even if he wouldn't share his thoughts, and frustrated that Joe wouldn't want to follow up, he enjoyed the quiet. They were stuck here for the next few days for the memorial service and follow-ups, and Isthmian was sure to be chaotic after such an attack. He needed to savor the few moments of peace he could enjoy.

It ended too early when the door swung open. Nobody else was in line for examination so Thomas expected something worse. Instead Yoshi and Lalamon scanned the room and picked him out on the near wall. She slammed the door behind her, eyed Joe for a moment, returned to Thomas and asked, "So what happened?"

"Pulmonary contusion causing hypoxia leading to sudden cardiac arrest," Thomas answered.

"Hey, that was just a guess," Joe protested.

"A guess?" After another glance at Joe, Yoshi folded her arms at Thomas.

"Big words for someone who doesn't know anything," Lalamon added.

Yoshi raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Thomas wanted to continue exuding confidence, but his shoulders slumped anyway. "The body converted to data as soon as he flatlined. Investigating further is difficult."

"I'm sticking with 'explosion' as cause of death," Joe said, head still down.

Head darting between the two, the irritation on Yoshi's face gave way to fear. "You really don't know? He just died and that's it?" Thomas nodded. "And you couldn't stop it?"

"We don't know that either." Thomas stared forward, avoiding her.

"This isn't funny! You've got all those degrees, all those brains, and you don't even know if you had any control over our commander-general dying?!"

He kept his voice composed despite the rise in hers. "The information's incomplete. I won't make false assumptions over a matter this serious."

"But where does that leave us?! We could just die and you're stuck shrugging your shoulders?" Thomas couldn't help but turn to her now. This sort of outburst from Yoshi was unexpected. Worse yet, he had no way to fight back. Any disrespect she was showing was the fear talking, but he had nothing to put her at ease.

Instead, Joe muttered, "It's always been that way." Yoshi turned to him. If anything, the panic in her eyes grew. "Back home I was borderline on even getting into medicine. I've been learning on the fly since we got here. And Thomas knows his stuff but he's more a researcher than a doctor." He shook his head. "Honestly, it's amazing we made it this long."

When Yoshi's hand, trembling, reached back for the door, Lalamon shouted, "That's not helping!" Yoshi backed out of the room, her partner just sneaking through the door before she pulled it shut.

With a chuckle he knew was inappropriate, Thomas said, "I know I disappointed her in refusing to offer false encouragement, but that was astoundingly tactless."

"What would have happened if we'd pulled him out of it?" Joe leaned forward, chin on his balled hands.

"We'd… run tests and scans to diagnose the problem." Looking around the room, Thomas realized the limitations of that as he said it.

"Then what? What if it's something bad? What if it's something we couldn't treat?"

Thomas furrowed his eyebrows. "That's awfully pessimistic, but under that hypothetical, he'd be the same as he is now. Only then we'd have an answer.

"Yeah." Joe stood up. "But then it really would be on us." He circled around the table, lost eyes wondering the room. Opening the door, he paused. "This was bad but… it only gets harder now."

* * *

Zoe Orimoto knew her priorities were messed up, but the opportunity was too golden to not indulge. The castle had every right to focus on the attack and losing Yushima. Those were the big stories and discussing anything else seemed inappropriate. At the same time, once the train dropped the officers and other leaders, Nene, Jeremy, and Zoe boarded the return trip to the new settlement. With the investigation team on hiatus due to the hostilities, Nene could get a head start working with Eri on Midnight Machete's role in the upcoming Cerealia festival. Jeremy added some skilled labor and leadership to the construction process. Zoe said she wanted to tag along to spend time with Jeremy. This was a lie.

Since it happened, Zoe couldn't shake the sight of Nene kissing Izzy. She had no good reason for this. It wasn't her business, it happened in a tense, emotional moment, and an hour later both active parties acted like it never happened. But Zoe was more than familiar with these matters, embroiled in them on both ends. Watched them spiral. Saw them unravel relationships in clouds of distrust and tension. Most of the time, the dramatic life-threatening situation was only one of the ingredients causing them. Zoe suspected something else led to this. She needed to know what it was, and what consequence Nene faced.

The first thing she had to do was shake Jeremy. An entire Trailmon to themselves and the three of them shared the same bench, Jeremy squeezing as close as he could to Zoe without direct physical contact. Regular train jostling made it happen anyway. She probably could have sat on his lap without Nene caring, but he was particular about such displays.

He was especially self-conscious with Nene around, something Zoe considered using to her advantage. Most of the conversation centered around either the shock of someone dying or the satisfaction of seeing Christopher squirm before pulling him off the hook. Zoe had little interest in either, tuning out and staring at the window for long stretches.

When the conversation hit an appropriate pause, she snapped back into the conversation "My dear, think you could find the refreshment cart?" she asked, flashing a sweet smile at her boyfriend.

Jeremy looked around the otherwise empty train car. "Do they do that on these things?"

"You should go find out."

Sensing his skepticism, Nene added, "Or we could talk about how you said you loved me the first time you laid eyes on me."

"I'm going, I'm going!" Jeremy shot to his feet and hustled to a different car.

Zoe's smile morphed into one of mischief. "You're too good at that."

Nene raised an eyebrow. "So are you. 'My dear,' huh?"

"It's cuter when it actually comes out as Italian," she moaned. The Digital World evolving to make everyone cognize a universal language ruined her speech quirk.

"So what was it you wanted to say that made you stop disassociating?"

"Are we going to ignore the fact that you kissed Izzy?"

Nene chuckled, touching her fingers to her lips. "It was all very sudden and he saved my life. What's there to discuss?"

"Well, is that normal when someone saves your life?" Zoe peeked down the aisle to make sure Jeremy was still gone. "Jeremy's saved your life before. Have you kissed him?"

"We were twelve."

"Old enough for him to have a crush on you."

Nene shrugged. "The feeling didn't come over me then. Back there it must have."

"Over Izzy? Did you talk about it with him at least?"

She shook her head. "I'm sure Izzy understands it didn't mean anything. He's very smart."

Zoe cringed. "Not when it involves girls. What if he takes that the wrong way?"

"I can handle that." Nene closed her eyes, grinning. "Frankly, I'd be surprised if he wasn't interested in me."

Facing away to frown, Zoe didn't like that sentiment at all. As far as anything romantic, Nene was too mature and Izzy too immature for anything good to come from confusing gestures and no communication. That begged for one or both of them to get hurt. She couldn't watch that.

She also knew she couldn't penetrate Nene's defenses without knowing if she was right. Tacking to the other area of concern, Zoe asked, "Have you told Matt?"

"Of course."

The last thing Zoe expected was such a simple reply. "…and?"

Nene still clung to a smile. "And what?"

"And what happened?" Zoe leaned in, concern in her eyes.

"Why do you think something would happen?" Nene's head shook.

"Because it's Matt." Nene blinked, offering nothing. "He's not exactly the most understanding about these kinds of things."

"Are you really so surprised everybody's handling this like an adult?"

"Yes!" This conversation exhausted Zoe more than she expected. "I'd expect Matt to be furious, I'd expect Izzy to be following you around like a puppy… and honesty I'd expect you to twist it to take advantage somehow."

Nene chuckled and scratched her chin. "Now I wonder if I missed an opportunity…" She shook off the thought. "But there's no point in getting worked up over nothing."

Zoe's hands flailed. "You kissed your boyfriend's roommate! How is that not nothing? That's never nothing!" She huffed. "All I know is if I kissed Izzy for whatever reason, Jeremy would be really mad."

"Well…" Nene shrugged. "Congrats on landing the one boy here more uptight than Matt Ishida."

* * *

Rei Katsura processed Yushima's death in a different way than anyone else. Most saw a warning haunt over everybody, a reminder of the constant dangers in the world and the consequences of a fight gone wrong. Takuya saw a stain on his command to overcome to restore some measure of pride. Joe saw his first loss as a doctor and searched for a path forward. Izzy saw a fascinating reaction and finally learned what happens to the human body when it dies in the Digital World. Some, Rei assumed, must have actually known Yushima and mourned him as a lost loved one.

Izzy's response matched Rei's the closest, but Izzy also had a years-long head start in understanding this world. Too many of the Digital World's concepts eluded Rei. What did and didn't constitute data? If something was data, did it have the sort of coding or composition he and Hackmon would be able to manipulate? The big one, and the one Rei couldn't easily ascertain: how much of this extended to lifeforms?

This was crucial to the Yuujin project. After all, how could they create a living being in this world without knowing what it meant to be a living being in this world? In a grim way, Rei needed something like a death to piece it together. Now he could see Digimon died differently than Appmon, who both died differently than humans. That meant all three had different, yet compatible, attributes. This macabre Rosetta Stone could help him figure out what they were and how they could be recreated.

Eager to continue processing the new information back in the lab, he and Hackmon headed down the hallway, frustrated at the blockade Mikey and Ewan made mid-conversation. "Excuse me," he mumbled. Ewan backed up right away. Mikey didn't budge.

Rei had enough room to slip by, brushing against Mikey's shoulder. Only then did Mikey say, "Oh, sorry."

He continued down the hall, not thinking much of it until Ewan said, "Didn't you hear him?" Louder, Ewan added, "Mikey?"

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Rei stopped, rustling through his pockets and fiddling with his Appdrive as he eavesdropped on Ewan. "You've been… off since the battle."

"What do you mean?"

"Hearing loss?" Rei suggested, his back still to them. Neither responded. He looked over his shoulder at Ewan, raising his eyebrows at Mikey, waiting for a response that didn't come.

"You didn't catch what he said, did you?" Ewan folded his arms as Mikey stared back in confusion. "Jeez, this is serious! You need to get that checked out!"

Mikey waved him off. "Naw, it's no big deal. Sora and Miki had it for a bit too and they got better."

"And you didn't." Ewan huffed. "You were as close to that thing as Mr. Yushima. It makes sense that it would do more." He looked down at Mikey's bandages. "What happens if this is permanent?"

"Rei." One word from Hackmon was all it took to support Rei's thought.

He returned to them. "Follow me. I want to try something."

After confirming the bathroom was empty, he told Ewan to guard the door. "You are going to tell us what you're doing before you do it, right?" he asked, even as he obeyed.

Facing Mikey to make sure he could understand, Rei answered, "I'm going to hack him to fix his hearing."

Mikey blinked. "Uh, I don't think I caught that right. Did you say you were going to hack me?"

"Yes."

"You can do that?"

"I don't know."

"Rei and I can hack digital code," said Hackmon. "If the human body is made of code, we should be able to modify it."

"It doesn't work that way." Ewan eyed the floor with a heavy frown. "Injuries are permanent here. So is death."

"Have you tried?" asked Rei, still staring at Mikey.

"Um… it's not a subject I like to get into. Just say I had a harsh lesson."

Mikey darted his eyes between Rei and Ewan, before settling on the appdriver. "Will it hurt?"

"I don't know," Rei answered in a monotone.

"We won't know the effects or limitations until we try it," said Hackmon.

"Okay." Mikey exhaled. "Let's give it a shot."

"Do you even hear him? Not like you can read his lips!" Ewan shouted.

Mikey stood up straight, stared forward, and gave a nod. Hackmon drove his tendrils into Mikey's ears. On impact, he winced with a loud groan, his body curling up despite staying on his feet. He fell when Rei pulled his interface up and began scanning the output. Writhing on the floor and clawing at the wires, Mikey staggered his groans, checking them to avoid full on screaming.

Ewan screamed instead: "You're hurting him!"

"That's interesting," Rei mumbled back. He didn't expect this process to be as painful as Mikey demonstrated, and wasn't sure if that was from Hackmon reading Mikey's source code or simply the cords rammed into his head.

"Well stop it!" Rei ignored Ewan and kept working.

He found what he needed, taking a minute to determine the proper changes to make. The hard part was filtering out Ewan's protests and suppressing his own guilt over inflicting such pain. Thankfully Mikey was a good sport, restraining himself to loud, repeated panting.

With the changes in place and praying they functioned, Rei took a deep breath and muttered, "Here goes…"

Hackmon's tendrils glowed. So did Mikey's head. Now the screaming was unavoidable as part of his brain was rewritten.

"Hacking complete," said Hackmon, calm as ever. He pulled his wires out of Mikey's ears, shaking them off before fully retracting them back into his claws.

Left in a crumpled heap on the floor, Mikey caught his breath, hands covering his ears. Rei and Ewan gave him space, not daring to speak before he rose. It took at least a minute before he picked himself up, carefully minding his arm and shoulder bandages. Ewan stepped forward to prop him up.

"That's never happening again. Everyone understand that?" Through heavy breaths, Ewan glared at Rei.

Mikey jolted upright, abandoning Ewan's help and instead staring at him with wide eyes. "Oh man, you still can't hear me?" Ewan moaned.

After several blinks, Mikey replied, "I've never heard better." He turned around and shut off a faucet no one had noticed was dripping. He bent down and motioned at the pipes underneath. "Was the plumbing always this loud?"

Ewan slowly turned to Rei. "You fixed his eardrums…"

"His eardrums are still shot. Body damage can't be fixed," Rei stated. "But now he doesn't need them. His brain's coded to bypass them when interpreting sound signals."

"He hears digitally now," Hackmon added.

"Oh…" Mikey nodded, eyes at the ceiling. "Guess that's why everything sounds like a podcast." Rei smirked and nodded.

"But…" Ewan gestured at his teammate, frantic. "You… modified him… that's crazy. And morally it's…" He turned his head, choking on the possibilities. "Knowing what you're capable of, it's…"

"No different than having destructive monsters doing whatever we tell them," Rei answered. "I only wanted to see if it would work. Besides, it only helps with sensory and neurological functions."

"But that's a pretty big deal." Mikey leaned against the sink, stroking his chin. "Neurological? That could, like, cure some kinds of paralysis, couldn't it?"

"Sure. In a Digital World, someone in a wheelchair might not have to be," said Rei.

* * *

Angie Hinomoto couldn't believe her life was in Airu's hands. She took solace in thinking if the elevator she was trapped in somehow killed her due to Airu's "repairs," it wouldn't be a terrible loss. The Leo Tower elevator was never the most reliable, and it died once a month or so. This was the second time Angie had been trapped in it. The first time she at least had Nene and Suzie to help survive the hour it took JP to fix it. That was downright pleasant compared to being alone with no faith in her savior.

"Still good in there?" JP asked from the third floor where the top half of the elevator stalled. He checked up on her to keep her from freaking out. Angie wouldn't freak out at all if he'd just fix it himself. Without Airu in the picture, this was annoying but nothing to panic over.

"Why are you letting her do this?" she asked, only slightly raising her voice. With his door pried open she could hear him fine, even if her door refused to budge and the emergency lights weren't strong enough to let her see the ceiling.

"Letting her? I'm making her. Our response time's better if either of us can fix it."

"But does she know what she's doing?"

"Are you kidding? She knows more than I do!"

The elevator plummeted, dropping a full floor before the cables regained control and seized the carriage before it crashed. The pull almost lifted Angie into the air; she felt the mass of her body gather entirely in her head before gravity returned and dropped her on the floor.

Even before picking herself up, she shouted, "JP?! What happened?!" Once on her feet, she pounded on the door. "JP, get me out of here!"

The doors popped open, but revealed exposed shaft across the top two thirds. The bottom third offered escape… seven feet below. Even without knowing how she planned to handle the fall, she dangled her legs through the opening and over the edge, turning around so her stomach lied flat on the floor. The angle made it easy to get out, but impossible to see just how far she'd fall. She took a deep breath, pretending she was calming her nerves when she was really just stalling.

Another door in the hallway below her banged open. JP shouted, "Oh it's open! Okay, just uh… slide out and I'll catch you!" Good enough for her: she pushed off and slid through the gap, too fast for her legs to stay below her. She saw them flailing as she fell face-up.

Bracing for impact with the hard floor, she instead collided with a soft surface. JP's hands wrapped around her as both of them crashed. Angie rolled off him and sat up. She had a headache and her eyes needed to adjust to proper lighting, but she was relieved to find herself unharmed. She was equally happy JP and his big cushiony landing pad absorbed the fall with no damage.

Before she could thank him, the elevator shot back up a floor and the doors closed in front of them. If Angie had waited another fifteen seconds, it would have bisected her.

The stairway door opened again and Airu strolled out with a smug grin and a raised eyebrow. "Oh, you got out. I was going to tell you to wait."

Popping to her feet, Angie shouted, "How were you planning to do that?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Airu pouted. "Why would you say that? I wouldn't do anything to get you hurt… at least not while Joe's gone."

JP clutched his head. Through a pained expression, he said. "So it's fixed?"

"Yep! Plus I know how to make it randomly drop a floor now. That's fun."

Before either JP or Angie could react, Airu shot a hand up. "I'm taking the rest of the day off then."

"Hey, wait!" JP stepped forward before she could get through the door. "We still have a ton on our 're behind now!"

"JP…" Airu sneered back. "You've been working me to the bone all week. I don't know when the officers are coming back so I need to stage a coup while I still can."

Angie clenched her teeth in disgust. "Stage a coup?"

"Don't me you haven't thought about it. And since everyone but Kari's gone this week…"

"We're not staging anything," JP insisted. "We're going downstairs to check the list."

Airu's annoyed expression didn't last long. She straightened her posture, lifted her head, threw on a sinister smile, and approached him. "How about this… you take care of your list, I can take off when I need to…" She playfully poked his chest. "…and I'll be your date to that stupid festival thing in a couple weeks."

Angie rolled her eyes. Tempted as she was to explode at her, she figured JP wouldn't fall for something that ridiculous.

"My date?" She figured wrong. He was already vibrating.

"Just your date. Nothing pervy."

Burying her face in disgust, Angie was embarrassed for both of them. Still, if it meant Airu was less involved with elevator repairs, she could tolerate JP being a complete sucker.

"Wow, I've never had a date to one of these things before…" JP rubbed his neck. "But you know I'll have to help with some set up, right? You'll help me help?" Angie couldn't figure out if JP's words were clumsy or he was trying to sound clever.

"Just for that night?" He nodded. "Sure, I guess." Airu huffed, "You have no idea how to show a girl a good time." She slapped his shoulder. "We'll work on that. Let me know when you're picking me up!" With a smile closer to sweet, she spun around and rushed out the door.

"We're all taking the Trailmon up!" JP shouted far too late. "Jeez…"

Before Angie could figure out which way to escape, JP said, "Hey Ang', mind going up to Command and warning Kari that Airu's… Airu."

She scoffed. "No way! I can't show myself up there! I'll send Gatomon up when I get back to the habitat." Shaking her head, she said, "Seriously, why do you let her manipulate you like that?"

"Eh, it's easier than fighting her. I'm just happy with whatever help she can give me." He shrugged. "And it is nice to have someone to go with for once."

Angie sneered. This was pathetic. Enough that she said, "I'll go with you. No arrangements, no bargains. Let's just have fun." She quickly raised a finger. "Still nothing pervy though."

"Really? You mean it?" JP got excited for a moment, but slowed down. "Is Kenta really that bad?"

She sighed. Kenta always tried to keep his fondness for her subdued and and professional, so she was unsettled about it being widespread knowledge. "No…" she admitted. "But I don't like him that way, so doing anything with him feels like I'm giving up."

"And I'm any better?"

"You're different. I don't work with you every day." She shrugged. "And I don't think you're into me like that, so we can just have a good time."

The elevator behind them dinged and the doors open. "Hey! I had him first!" Airu cried, an accusing finger at Angie.

Angie spun around, jaw falling. "How?!" How Airu overheard their conversation or how she worked the elevator like that she wasn't sure. She just had questions.

Airu lunged forward, wrapped her arm around Angie's neck, and pulled. "JP, stay here. Us ladies need to discuss this in my office." Nearly strangled, she was helpless as Airu pulled her into the elevator, shut the door, and disabled it. Once alone, she released her captive and said, "Bold move, Angie. Didn't expect it." She cracked a smile. "I'm kind of impressed."

The praise made Angie defensive in an instant. "I'm only protecting him from you! You're only using him to get out of work."

Folding her arms, Airu said, "And you're only using him to not look pitiful."

"It's better than what you're doing! You're manipulating him!"

"He knows the terms. You're not winning this."

Angie stewed for a while, but she was right. Nobody out-foxed Airu. With a sigh, she muttered, "Fine, do what you want to him."

Airu not only smiled, but it grew as big as it ever had, her eyes lighting up with all the joy of spotting the cutest thing she could hunt. "I have an even better idea." She fiddled with the elevator until the doors opened.

JP hadn't moved. "You two weren't fighting over me, were you?"

"You wish. We came to a ladies' agreement."

"We did?" asked Angie.

"Nobody seeing us together will believe you could actually land someone like me. They'll wonder what sort of deal we made."

"Which we did," JP said.

Airu didn't care. "And if you went with Angie, everyone will just see two sad losers with no friends."

Angie sighed. "And they'd be right."

"So the solution's simple." Airu raised her eyebrows. "You're taking both of us."

"Excuse me?!" both JP and Angie cried.

"Sure. JP looks like king of the world walking in with a girl on each arm. Angie's a wholesome goody-good so everyone knows there's nothing sketchy involved. And I'm an adorable princess who elevates both of you just by being near me."

Angie was so dumbfounded she couldn't protest. The rationale for her was even simpler: the whole thing was a joke no matter what, so why not play it up? "Fine, whatever," she said. The only downside was spending time with Airu, but what were the odds she'd actually stay with JP the entire night instead of wandering off first chance she got?

"Wow, two girls?" JP scratched his reddened cheek. "Man I know it's all for fun, but going to a party like that's uh… heh heh…"

"Nothing pervy," said Airu and Angie in unison.

* * *

Takato Matsuki was surprised at the thoughtfulness of Yushima's funeral service. The leaders had decided the fallen's original leader would decide arrangements, leaving Takato curious at how everything would go. At first he questioned the minimal use of flowers and lack of focus on Kamemon, but Marcus knew what he was doing. Two crossed fishing rods formed a centerpiece, which seemed hokey to everyone who didn't know the guy. And Kamemon never liked being the center of attention, so letting him stay in his seat was the best way to keep from straining him further.

Instead of sentimentality, Marcus loaded the program up with speeches. He delivered a feisty one about Yushima's nagging tendency to pop in the weirdest places and offer vague wisdoms. Yoshi talked about her impressions of him at DATS, discovering him two years ago, and her amazement that he'd kept Isthmian standing almost single-handedly before then. Sampson got into their work prior to Digimon, including plenty of off-the-clock stories Yushima would have never shared when he was alive. Takato learned far more about the quiet old man than he ever did during his few Isthmian stints, and decided this kept his memory alive better than flowers or solemn ceremony.

He was surprised Kamemon insisted on serving the refreshments at the reception. He said nothing, walking around the gathering passing tea and hors d'oeuvres to everybody. As much as Takato, and no doubt others, wanted to ask him how he was coping and how being a partner Digimon with no partner even worked, his upright, modest poise suggested he was nothing more than the caterer, offering treats before moving on the next group, too busy and too in demand to engage in meaningful conversation. Of course Kamemon would want it that way.

"How do you think he's doing?" asked Rika as the trio of tamers watched the turtle make his rounds.

"Well, either he's moving on like a trooper or traumatized forever," Takato replied.

"Or both," added Renamon.

Terriermon swung around Henry's head. "Yep, definitely both."

Rika narrowed an eye. "Since when were you an expert on Digimon grieving?"

"What, after all those years thinking we might not see you again?" Terriermon shook a finger. "We had a lot of emotions to process."

Henry bristled, nearly causing his partner to fall. "Okay okay… can we talk about something else?"

"Something wrong?" Takato asked.

"Guess some of us aren't as in touch with our feelings," mocked Terriermon.

"No it's just…" Henry sighed. "I've been helping Maki with networking for the settlement."

Rika gave a knowing nod. "That'll do it."

"Maki?" Takato did not know at all. "Wait, isn't she one of the originals? The one who lost her partner?"

"Yeah." Henry's eyes strayed down. Terriermon jumped off him. "And then some."

Takato darted between Henry and Rika, searching for context. Rika's eyes widened. "You didn't go… there, did you?" When Henry didn't respond, she persisted. "But that wasn't until she was older. She's our age."

"She was thinking about it at our age. Still is." His voice was somber.

"Thinking about what? I'm really lost," moaned Takato.

Rika folded her arms. "That mess with King Drasil that locked up Ken and them?" She exhaled through her nose. "That was her."

Henry returned a slow nod. "Rebooted the entire Digital World just to see her partner again."

Even with an explanation, Takato was no less confused. Not because of Maki's actions or her fate, but the hushed tone when discussing it. "Okay… um… I mean that's kind of insane but…" He checked for anyone else in the vicinity, then leaned in and said, with a weak smile, "I mean, is that so different than Yaddith?"

"Takato!" For all the precautions, Henry's shout drew stares. He checked himself, and the onlookers, and lowered his voice. "We agreed never to bring that up."

"Really, still?" Takato narrowed an eye. "We agreed to that… man, we weren't even in the castle yet!"

"Well, nothing changed." Henry's breathing became louder, his eyes shifting more. "We can't let anybody know about that. Especially now."

"Takato, you dimwit," Rika groaned. "The crap she pulled nearly got all of them killed." She shivered. "They'd kill us if they ever found out what we were planning."

* * *

Eri Karan didn't understand how someone's death hastened the planning for her festival. She expected a push to postpone Cerealia, exhausted just imagining another fight to keep it locked in. Instead, she found herself perched on the stage in the settlement's assembly hall, waiting for one of the band members to plan a set out and talk requirements. By all accounts, Midnight Machete was a hit with everybody, and all the equipment they needed was available. To her great relief, Eri saw no need to meddle in a good thing.

This was also her chance to meet the other idol. She had always been amused whenever she mentioned her career while introducing herself, as Nene often come up. Despite her success and her stage persona, Eri tried not to see herself as exceptional. The presence of a colleague helped remind her how many idols there were nowadays, and she had no doubt someone who had helped save the world would have no trouble capturing its heart as well.

Both girls entering the hall were pretty, but Eri picked out the performer right away. The blonde staggered around at the sight of the room, twirling around to catch all of its enormity. The twin-tailed brunette raised her eyebrows and nodded in approval, but stayed poised as she joined the room full of strangers. Her elegance despite her loud red and pink dress screamed idol to Eri. Only she, far more than the other girl, popped in a way reminding her of her hero Izumi.

"You must be Eri," the girl said, prompting Eri to push off the stage and land on the floor below. "I'm Nene and this is Zoe. Pleasure to finally meet the new competition."

Eri grinned. She wasn't sure if Nene was serious about being rivals, but she didn't hate the idea. "Indeed. How are Haru and Rei?"

Zoe looked up at the ceiling. "Uh, besides trapping us in a burning factory, Haru seems nice."

As much as Eri needed this story, picking Nene's brain was her more urgent interest. She never passed up an opportunity to talk shop with strangers familiar with the industry. Trading experiences, good and bad, was not only fun but would help her size up Nene and the next stage of her entertainment career.

Much as Eri adored idoldom, she wasn't surprised or bothered to hear Nene's less enthusiastic account. Like many peers, the lack of free time and personal life turned her away. This was a common story. But her emphasis on the lack of creative freedom caught Eri's attention. Eri didn't just respect that complaint, she admired it. Not every girl mentioned that in her exit interview. Blessed with a cool manager and a good reputation, Eri had been lucky enough to get opportunities to show off her choreography chops, but not everyone had that chance. Rather than shun the spotlight completely, Nene used her time here to improve her songwriting and guitar skills. How could Eri not love that?

Before they settled into the concert planning, Meiko barreled towards the stage with a food cart holding a teapot, flatware, and some snacks. Eri sighed and held up a finger timed to the inevitable "Sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing?" Eri obliged. Despite the eye roll, she knew the plan was to have refreshment for the guests on arrival. But the tardiness was not on Meiko—she drove them in after all—but whatever minor chaos interrupted the assigned staff.

After serving Nene and Zoe, Meiko said, "Ai had to deal with Impmon. He was, um… using the plywood stock to practice karate again."

Zoe released a laugh. "Some of these new kids need to learn to control their Digimon."

"Oh, well…" Meiko lowered her head, an unsettled frown appearing. "I can sympathize."

"Why, who's yours?" Zoe stared at a couple stray Hagurumon floating around the room.

As Meiko shriveled, Eri snapped into action. "Uh, Zoe, Meiko's partner, um…" She blurted it out so quickly she didn't include a way to steer the conversation away. "She, um, you know… uh… crossed the rainbow bridge." She cringed at her choice of metaphor.

Meiko tilted her head, then let out a sad chuckle. "Crossed it? Darn near destroyed it." Eri sighed in relief.

"Thank you for the tea," said Nene.

A crash in the corner drew their attention to a paint pan turned over and bleeding across the hardwood floor. "Hagurumon, you-!" Meiko shouted at the fleeing culprit. She groaned and excused herself to clean it.

"Need help?" Eri asked but got silence. She shrugged it off and finally began to talk about the concert.

They made instant headway. Nene knew what she needed and how it had been attained before, so all Eri had to do was write it down. Not everything she could do herself, but now she knew who to ask to rig lights (Jeremy), set up mics for the drum kit (JP), and run a soundboard (Yolei). At some point Meiko came back with cleaning supplies and a ton of discarded packing paper. Eri and Nene continued uninterrupted.

With most of the essentials down, Nene asked, "So are you interested in joining us for a song or two?"

Eri gasped. It was a natural gesture, but she was still honored. "You mean it? Of course!"

"Hey maybe Nene should join you for part of your opener," Zoe suggested. Eri smiled even more.

Nene looked away and scratched her cheek. "Well, you know I'd prefer to focus on my current work." Unable to escape Eri and Zoe's eager stares, she relented… maybe with less trouble than she let on. "…but I suppose the two of us on stage together would be rather hard for everyone to resist."

Eri shot her fist forward. "We'll hit 'em with a double Big Bang punch to the heart! They'll love it!"

"Fine, fine…" Nene nodded along. "I trust you have pieces for two girls?"

Wincing, Eri said, "Uh… I had three in my main group. The harmonies don't work with only two."

"I suppose we need a third then." Nene grinned and turned to Zoe. "Seeing as this was your idea…"

Zoe flailed with her hands, a huge blush forming. "Oh no! I'm not getting up on stage with two professionals!"

"You'd better," Nene cooed. "Otherwise Jeremy will spend the whole song staring at me dancing around in a cute idol dress."

"That doesn't work on me!" Despite her adamant tone, her hands shook. "Jeez, crazy enough you got everybody to do that dance number on the fly two years ago."

"Dance number on the fly?" asked Eri.

Nene nodded. "I was very drunk."

Eri didn't push Zoe the same way. She already saw a lack of commitment, which wouldn't work once the rehearsing started. She needed a victim who would put in the effort, and to her fortune had finished sopping up paint and pushed her cart past them. "Meiko! You're gonna be an idol with us!" she declared.

Meiko froze, her back still to the other girls. After some hesitation, she continued pushing her cart away, faster now. Eri wasn't deterred, standing and shouting: "We agreed you owed me one after I took this job! I'm cashing in!"

She stopped again, this time turning around, leaving the cart behind, and slumping back to them, her face red and her body shaking. "Why me?"

"You work hard and you look fit enough. I bet you'll do great." Eri grinned. "Also, no one else owes me favors."

"But… but I don't like being in front of people," Meiko stammered. "Why not Mimi? She'd love this."

"Ooh, bad idea," Nene said. "Mimi and I don't have the best relationship. A guest vocal peace offering is one thing, but working on this would be a problem. I think she's still a bit sore from when I stole Matt from Sora."

Eri was taken aback. That was most definitely not idol behavior. "W…wow. That's not… very idol-like." Nene grinned and stuck out her tongue.

"Wait…" Meiko held a hand up, confusion all over her face. "Matt and Sora were together?"

"Allegedly," Nene replied, with a smile and raised eyebrows.

"When did that happen?!" All she got from Nene was a shrug.

"Anyway!" Eri blurted. "You two will have all the time to gossip while we're practicing. We go on in two weeks and we don't even have a song or costumes." She hopped to her feet and threw a fist out. "Ready to knock everyone out?"

Nene was more delicate to her feet, but joined in with a fist of her own. "If not figuratively, then literally."

They looked at Meiko. She darted between the two and every available exit in the room. "Come on…" Eri urged. "We'll be a big hit! Watch us go viral!"

Meiko sighed and relented. "Bad things happen when things around me go viral," she muttered as she tossed in a reluctant hand.

* * *

Joe Kido spent enough time providing comfort and support to everyone who needed it. Now, days later, on the train home, he needed time to himself and his dismal reality. He never found much joy in treating injuries. He earned the job because he was the only one suited for it at the time. Most of his duties were preventative: exams, vaccines, and consulting on the impact of Digital World life on the human body. Those fulfilled him. Emergency treatment was the unwelcome side, one he'd seen too much of.

He knew he'd have to return to Isthmian someday. Nothing about the attack suggested those responsible would go away. Sampson found a new kid with emergency response experience, and Joe was happy to train him, but that only relieved the easy stuff. Joe wasn't demoralized by his incapability—he had gained plenty of experience treating cuts and broken bones—but rather the high demand for such service in the first place.

Yushima's death was too sudden to label a failure on Joe's part. He didn't second-guess himself the way he might have in the past or others assumed he did now. "I'm sure you did everything you could" echoed all week, but Joe never doubted that. Instead, the death exposed a hole Joe knew about, but never grasped its depth. "I'm sure you did everything you could" covered him only in the sense that Yushima's heart gave in before Joe could figure out what was wrong. Had they stabilized him, the phrase would have meant something more sinister: Joe's "everything you could" wasn't at all adequate in this world. Yushima almost put that on full display.

"C'mon, Joe, how long are you going to worry about this?" To Joe, time to himself often meant time to himself and Gomamon. "Something on them breaks, you fix it. Someone gets knocked out, you wake them up. Simple right?"

He didn't have the stomach to explain the concept of internal organs to a Digimon. He was afraid the most cursory explanation would feel like the extent of his knowledge. For practical purposes, it may as well have been.

"It's… more complicated than that," he settled on. "Too complicated for me, even."

"Everything is with you, Joe."

When Joe spotted Yoshi walking down the aisle, his first thought was to hide. His grumbling to her on that first day was the opposite of the comfort he was supposed to be giving. He thought better of it by the time she reached him. "Hey, Yoshi?" She seemed to stop even before he said anything. "Uh, sorry for the other day. Guess I shouldn't have scared you like that."

She rubbed her shoulder, eyes down. "Actually, can we talk about that?"

Joe wasn't sure he wanted to, but refusing didn't make for a good apology. "Um… sure."

Yoshi stared at the seat next to him, and the Digimon perched on it. Gomamon needed a look from Joe to get the message and hop off. "Okay, okay… but you know I'm just gonna get Lalamon and eavesdrop."

As she sat down in his place, Yoshi watched him go. "Aren't they the worst?"

A chuckle escaped Joe. "I hope you don't want to yell at me again."

"No… this whole thing kinda scares me." She shook her head. "It was just so sudden. And also kind of obvious. Like, yes, some Digimon have really big guns. This isn't new information. But there really wasn't anything we could do?"

"We tried to pull him back. We couldn't. That was it. They can stick another first aid guy up there, but it still might happen again."

Yoshi only responded with an unsettled exhale. "This isn't helping, is it?" Joe asked with a frown.

"When I started off at DATS, the Digital World sounded like the worst place you could imagine. Deadly monsters… dangerous terrain… fighting everywhere… I was always afraid I'd have to go in." She looked up, a sad smile forming. "Crazy thing about Marcus is if you're around him too long you start to think you're immortal."

"You know Thomas wonders if we're even more mortal now." After a pause to process, Yoshi turned to him, an eyebrow raised. "Maybe while we weren't aging our bodies could handle more. Now that we are, things are more likely to go wrong."

"Jeez… so what you're saying is I'm right to be scared."

Joe nodded back. "All week everyone tried to cheer me up about losing him. At least you were being honest."

She folded her arms, shuffling deeper into her seat. "I don't want to be honest. I want to know I'm not going to die."

He shrugged. "I can't help. I only know the basics," Joe admitted. "Everything else I picked up as I had to. If someone needed surgery or something… we'd be out of luck. For a second I thought this was going to be one of those times. That scared me more than anything."

"And to think the first thing I thought when I first met you was 'at least someone here knows what he's doing.'"

"Sorry to disappoint. I'm the biggest fake here."

"No… either we're all fakes or none of us are." She sat up, facing him again. "You know, after Marcus joined DATS, he and Thomas took the Data Squad to another level. I was just kind of there. No way to keep up. I just felt useless… like even though I had all the training and experience, I was nothing compared to those two."

Joe had to smile. "Yeah… I know that feeling. How'd you get over it?"

"I didn't. Just did whatever I could to help and somehow got through it." Joe nodded along with her story. That was him. Faking it and hoping his inferiority didn't come at a price. He knew there was a reason he appreciated her barging in to yell at him.

"After DATS," she continued. "Marcus went to be some guardian of the Digital World and Thomas cured his sister and won a million research awards." With a huff, she added, "Yeah, I had no chance up against them."

He chuckled back. "You were a police officer, right?"

Her face turned serious in a flash. "Yeah. And a damn good one. It didn't matter that I was a phony compared to those two. There was something else for me. Maybe I had to work a little harder, but I did it. It was nothing compared to them, but it still made a difference."

Joe leaned away from her, the sudden intensity from her eyes and her voice catching him off guard. "So what's your excuse? Are you just going to accept that you can't do anything and let us die or are you going to get better?"

As thrown as he was by her change in attitude, he didn't lose track of the conversation. "You realize you're talking about me learning how to do surgery, right?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes."

He wanted to give in and feel inspired, stand up and shout out his new goal in life… but surgery? Him? "Honestly though, would you really trust me to do surgery on you?"

Yoshi flinched, her eyes softening as she pondered it. Joe resisted a smug grin. Good thing, since she responded, "You know, before this week I would have said yes." She lowered her head. "I meant it when I said I saw you differently than everyone else. For a long time I thought you were the only other adult in the castle. If you're just faking that… you faked it the best."

Joe knew what kind of compliment that was from Yoshi. Everyone was a child to her. She wasn't wrong. Knowing he almost fooled her into thinking he was some mature, well-adjusted professional, even if it was nowhere close to the truth, was as inspiring as her pep talk. He stared forward, in awe of himself as he mumbled, "I'm going to learn be a surgeon."

Slowing her voice to let his declaration seep in, Yoshi said, "Good. And if you need me to knock you into believing yourself, get in touch."

He nodded. He was going to need it. "Thanks."

They let the talk die there. Yoshi shuffled, wondering how long she was supposed to wait before excusing herself back to her seat. Instead, Gomamon chimed in: "C'mon, Joe, seal the deal!" Both Joe and Yoshi jolted upright, turning around to figure out where he was hiding.

Before they could find him, Lalamon said, "Shh, don't ruin it! Yoshi needs this!"

Yoshi gave up and faced forward again, loudly grumbling, "Like I said… the worst."

* * *

Daigo Nishijima looked around the grounds at all his new teammates in Isthmian Castle. He had heard about the attack on the castle and the losses suffered, but never imagined it uprooting his team. His job as captain of the guard for the new settlement had been comfortable, heralded as a necessary line of defense, but never pressed into battle in the weeks he'd spent on duty. So it was an unpleasant surprise when Sampson pulled his team into the temporary command office and announced they'd be moving to bolster defenses in a now hostile territory.

The logic was hard to argue. The hunters were untested, never scraping for survival in the Digital World, lacking the preservation instinct that could snap to life in an instant the moment a threat arrived. Daigo's team had that down, experience perhaps going to waste guarding a compound with several natural defenses in more peaceful territory. The clincher was one of his teammates had taken life-saving courses on his way to becoming a firefighter. Once others got wind of that, not only was he demanded at Isthmian, talk spread of him using that as a foundation for further medical studies.

Daigo had just one thing to say to him: "You and your big mouth."

He couldn't disagree with the decision, but he didn't like it. How could he be happy about his team facing an increased likelihood of danger? At the settlement, they were on the ground floor of something exciting, something theirs from the beginning, and something everyone could contribute to. At Isthmian, they were soldiers shuffled in on the whims of higher authorities, to follow orders and do their job. They'd grown sick of that feeling years ago.

Just as bad, Isthmian was a beaten up relic, battered by years of attacks and improved just enough to stay functional. As sparse as the settlement was, Daigo knew it would be modern and gorgeous someday. Here he had to watch his teammates attempt to paste pieces of damaged wall back together. At its best, it would be standing but misshapen.

As he pretended to supervise his team, he cheated towards the seaside cliffs nearby. Somebody sat on the rocks, staring off into the distance. Daigo thought he recognized him, but the idea created such a disconnect he needed to confirm it. He and Bearmon headed over, still not believing his eyes that Tagiru would be capable of sitting still for so long, especially with such a frown.

But there he was, alone and vacant. "What's up with you?" Daigo asked, jolting Tagiru out of the trance.

It didn't change his expression, just made him blink a few times. "You don't think it was my fault, do you?"

"What was? That guy dying?" Daigo didn't wait for confirmation; he already assumed it and was already mad, even without the details. "Who the hell said that?"

"Nobody. Not to my face." Tagiru sneered. "I did it to save Mikey. Any other hero would do the same thing!" he shouted at the ocean.

Daigo didn't know what happened, but he was intimate with the feeling. How many times had he run through his team's failures? How long was his list of things to do differently? It never helped. His team was still broken, kicking for a foothold to progress.

"No point second-guessing yourself. It's out of our control anyway."

Tagiru took a deep breath, taking in the advice with a strong nod. "I just… never thought someone might die in all this."

"Yeah well… unless you can raise the dead you just have to move on."

"And if you can raise the dead, please tell Maki," added Bearmon.

Daigo glared at him. "Not helping."

Too late. Tagiru's head lifted, his nodding intensifying. "Yeah… yeah, that's right. We're legendary heroes. We're out here making dreams happen! Being the best! Surpassing everybody! Of course we'll get hit with bad stuff! Is it going to stop us? Hell no!"

He wasn't sure if that was exactly the right lesson to take, but Daigo was just relieved Tagiru focused on the "just have to move on" part rather than the "raise the dead" part. "Well… glad I could help," he said, ready to back away and return to his team.

Tagiru turned to him, a wild grin on his face. "Hey you're cool, right?"

Daigo leaned back, eyes refusing to peel away from the madness. "Uh, no, I'm in calligraphy club."

"I bet calligraphy club is super cool! Come on, you gotta see this."

Tagiru hopped off the rocks and ran back to the castle, expecting Daigo and Bearmon to keep up. He stopped near the wall, stomping his feet in various spots on the grass. He looked ridiculous, but Daigo knew asking would only feed into it.

"Got it!" Tagiru said, stamping one spot two more times. The grass had more give to it, its thump lighter. Tagiru dropped to his knees, combing the grass for a small black hook. He yanked to the side, opening the secret panel and the ladder leading underneath. Daigo didn't find this silly anymore. Tagiru climbed down, motioning Daigo to follow.

At the bottom, a shipping container buried underground made Daigo wonder if he was being pranked. Tagiru chuckled and cracked it open. "GigaBreakdramon put in extra hours to get this guy under here!"

Inside, desks and tables filled in most of the tiny space, with barely a walkway to allow access to anything. Papers covered the table, mostly rolled out schematics with books serving as paperweights. Multiple monitors stood on each desk. Rei and Haru behind them. Both stared back at Daigo, Rei with suspicion, Haru with confusion.

"Daigo?" Haru pushed himself out of his desk and turned to Tagiru. "What are you…?"

Tagiru ignored all the suspicious eyes. "What, Daigo's living here now. We gotta get him in on this!"

"Why?" asked Rei. "We agreed not to talk about this."

"I haven't talked about anything! I just brought him here!" He must have registered Rei's glare now, but he patted Daigo's shoulder. "He's wearing goggles, we can trust him!"

"Trust me with what?" Daigo asked. His eyes strayed up at Hackmon, perched atop a monitor, scanning him with his obscured face. "Someone want to explain what's going on?"

"They're raising the dead!" Tagiru exclaimed. Rei rolled his eyes.

Haru approached with an understanding smile. "We're… working on an AI program of my best friend that can be installed in a physical form."

"That sounds nuts." Daigo didn't mean to strike quite that hard, and regretted it the moment Haru looked down.

Still, Haru didn't give up his smile. "It sounds like a lot, but Yuujin didn't deserve to die. This is the least I can do for him."

"That rings a bell." Bearmon drove it home. Of course Daigo couldn't be too harsh on Haru. He'd seen worse. And while he'd always quietly scoffed at Maki's ideas for seeing Tapirmon again, part of him admired the way Haru was at least taking steps to make it happen.

Also, he had to be amazed by the equipment they'd acquired for their secret hideout. "Where'd all this stuff come from?"

"It's a secret," said Rei.

Haru chuckled. "We have sources. Just need to hook up our 3D printer next."

"3D printer?" Daigo glanced at Tagiru, but his smile told him nothing. "Is that a real thing in the future or a Star Trek reference?"

Tagiru didn't answer. "Cool, isn't it?!"

"I guess… it's a lot to get thrown at randomly."

"Amazing what happens when you catch someone looking vulnerable," said Bearmon.

"Vulnerable?" Haru frowned, turning to Tagiru. "Are you okay?"

"Fine now!" Tagiru returned a thumb's up. "This guy straightened me out."

Haru didn't pursue it and approached Daigo. "Well, in any event, it's nice to have you in the loop. And feel free to tell your friend. I don't know if we can bring back a Digimon…" He turned to Rei and got a noncommittal murmur. "…but I'm sure she'd appreciate what we're doing."

"Uh…" Daigo looked around at all the friendly, expectant eyes. He hated disappointing them. "I don't know if I want Maki knowing about all this." Haru's smile fell. "You guys look like you know what you're doing but… I don't want to give her any more false hope. Sometimes I think it's the only thing she runs on." He shook his head. "It's just not healthy."

While Haru's eyes sank to the floor and Tagiru clenched his teeth, Rei muttered, "It's not. But good luck getting her to shake it."

"Thanks," he chuckled back. Rei may have meant it as a warning, but he chose to take it otherwise. "And don't worry, I won't narc on you anything. I'm not sure about what you're after but… it's nice knowing something like this is going on."

He got the smiles back, including his own, but he struggled to understand why he felt good about this. The pats from Tagiru and Haru gave him a sense of camaraderie he didn't earn. He had concerns about the project's ethics. But being invited to see an underground operation, three kids changing fate under everyone's noses? Somehow it gave him energy. Even if he wanted no part of Haru and Tagiru's plans, he had their trust and friendship. That alone was enough for him to hope they succeeded.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 10:** **"Something Beautiful"**  
The Cerealia festival coaxes Maki out of her shell as she spends time with an unlikely date… and Davis, Ken, and Yolei. Airu seizes an opportunity to ensnare Ewan. Haru and Rei reach a critical juncture in their plan to revive Yuujin.

" _I did lose someone forever once. It took me down a very dark road. It can lead you to do some terrible things."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** The new Frontier audio drama, which mentions Koichi getting accepted into medical school, put me in an awkward spot. Much as I loved weaving tri. plot details and character notes into Neverworld on the fly, it never impacted anything too heavily (bigger contradictions like Sora and Matt being separated in tri. went mostly ignored, although this story will circle back to that disparity). Meanwhile, the full events of tri. and the Tamers drama happened in the off-season and could properly be incorporated. While the sudden need for more medical help would seem like a good place for Koichi to step up, it would be a major shift from my plans obviously thrown in only because of the new info. Story-wise we can't treat this as new information: everyone should have known about his educational path already. Official explanation (which again, I can't even put in the narrative proper!) is that Koichi saw that Joe had the job already and didn't want to challenge him for it. That said, I fully encourage everyone to re-imagine all prior Tommy scenes visualizing him as tall, handsome, and self-assured!

Zoe saying "my dear" is her neutered attempt at saying "caro mio," the male version of "cara mia," popularized by Gomez Addams.

Nene was slacking off in her role of random references to the manga this season, so Rei picked it up with the obvious V-Tamer reference (where another Rei didn't need her wheelchair in the Digital World). Funny thing about that scene is the line came first! The throwaway reference ended up inspiring the concept of hacking human bodies. This won't be the last time we hear about that.

The joke about Meicoomon destroying Rainbow Bridge (that big bridge in Odaiba) instead of crossing the rainbow bridge (a gentle, obviously relevant, metaphor for beloved pets passing away) was one I meant to include in my blog but completely forgot about in the moment. I needed to use it elsewhere, and will probably sneak it onto the podcast at some point.

Nene's drunken dance number on the fly was documented in chapter 11 of season one. The scene was supposed to be just a mild Christopher/Yoshi tease but things got out of hand.


	10. Something Beautiful

**Nexusworld**

 _The years will make us older. The winters make us colder._  
 _And there_ _'s one more thing I've come to know for sure:_  
 _There's no bitterness that smoulders, no chip on any shoulder,_  
 _That a random act of kindness couldn't cure._  
 _\- Great Big Sea,_ _"Something Beautiful"_

 **Episode 10**

Takuya Kanbara knew how to run on limited sleep. While they waited for the next chapter in the D-Brigade/Marsmon invasion, all signs suggested it was inevitable. In the weeks since the attack, Keenan reported back with a new enemy base in the mountains, too close for comfort, too isolated to strike and too secure to get a feel for the number of troops inside. The presence of both Commandramon and Bullmon guards told him the alliance was not temporary. They had something planned. Takuya had no idea what or when.

He didn't know if it worked on the other leaders, but insisting he was capable of dealing with it almost tricked him into believing it himself. Once a battle was underway, he had all the confidence in the world. Now he had an enemy hunkered down and waiting with unknowable intentions, a mind game. Takuya didn't do mind games. Koji could only offer skepticism of the total strength of the castle's army and assurance that this mountain base was well supplied and could wait forever. This didn't reassure Takuya at all.

Distraction was his only solace. Sora was an angel, a distraction, and a stress reliever. Her worry for him made him want to be all the braver. For her, and for the whole castle depending on his leadership. He refused to let her, and everybody, down.

The imminent Cerealia festival was another welcome respite. Partying with Sora and everyone else sounded like the perfect remedy. He only had to address the unfeasibility of leaving the place undefended. Mandating a small defense was standard protocol since discovering the place, but without castle fixture Yushima and with an enemy bearing down on them, it was not only essential to get right, it was one more thing to get paranoid about.

Before the permanent move, they determined "Isthmian duty" first by asking for volunteers, then by random draw if no one stepped up. Takuya adjusted the process by changing the invite list. Rather than include anyone with a powerful Digimon, he kept the meeting to those with large armies… for the most part.

Slips of paper and his hat at the ready, he explained, "Guys, I know you're all looking forward to Cerealia this weekend, but we gotta be real here: we can't leave this place unguarded. Not with those goons camping out there. Now you guys all have a ton of Digimon on you, so I figure if a couple of you stay behind, then we don't need to hold a whole team back." He smirked and pointed at Daigo and his three partnered teammates. "Or I figure we can stick it on the new guys."

Daigo shook his head and grumbled, "New guys? We were fighting in the Digital World when you were in diapers."

Takuya chucked back. "So any volunteers or do we gotta draw for it?"

Touching his hand to his nose, Tagiru shouted, "Not it!"

Across the table, Takuya read hesitance. Mikey cringed and rubbed his knuckles together. Christopher, a frequent volunteer, looked around the room with a dour face. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but someone beat him to it.

"We'll stay," said Rei. He turned to find Haru staring back in confusion, but only for a second before smiling.

"Sure!" Now Haru had nothing but enthusiasm. "We have plenty of Appmon between us and could go God grade if it gets really bad. We'll be fine!"

Takuya found Haru's willingness to not attend a party surprising. The other leaders wanting to hang out with him would be disappointed. In hindsight, keeping any of the new arrivals out of the first big social event was unfair. But Haru and Rei were happy to take one for the team. Takuya would have been foolish to say no.

Mostly he was just relieved he wasn't stuck with it. After years of petitioning to move out to Isthmian, he wanted nothing more than to get away for a night.

* * *

Daigo Nishijima didn't want to pry. Knowing how close he came to missing the party for guard duty, he also didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. But Haru and Rei's eager willingness to make the sacrifice struck him as odd. Rei didn't come across as the best guy to have at a party, but Haru was a team leader, usually pleasant to be around, and had friends at the other castle. Why did he give up a reunion without a second thought? The answer, Daigo reasoned, was clear.

"Man, what are you two doing?" Tagiru failed to make the logical assumption as they left the meeting. "The party of the year and you're missing it!?"

"Someone had to stay behind," Rei muttered.

"That's what newbies are for!" Tagiru turned to Daigo. "No offense, newbie."

Resisting the urge to push back, Daigo looked around, made sure no one was in earshot, and turned to Rei. "This has to do with your project, doesn't it?

Haru hid a grin. He too checked for unwanted ears and said, "We're doing a test run. We'll program him onto some basic robotics to see how he interfaces with it."

Rei narrowed his eyes at Haru before looking at Daigo. "Our space is too small for a mobility test and we didn't want to take it outside in case something went wrong."

"Whoa, cool!" Tagiru exploded. "You're this far already?!"

"Well, we've got a ways to go and it won't really be him." Haru's face was too red to look straight. "But it's an important step."

"That's awesome! Still, the party's not going to be any fun without you."

"Sorry. I'm going to miss seeing everybody. But we'll have the place to ourselves. We have to make the most of it."

"So what was that about?" Maki's voice jolted Daigo. She and Bearmon joined them in the crowded hallway.

Turned out she startled everybody. "Hoo, didn't see you there!" Tagiru said, laughing. "You're sneaky!"

Bearmon grinned. "That's nothing! Ask Matadormon how sneaky she is!"

Maki let out the tiniest chuckle. Just that warmed and reassured Daigo. He handled the explanation himself: "Takuya needs someone to guard the place while everyone's at the festival. Haru and Rei jumped in so we didn't get stuck with it."

"They're skipping the festival?" Maki raised an eyebrow at Rei. "Can I join you?" Both Haru and Daigo opened their mouths in panic.

"There's no point," said Rei, expressionless. "It's about all the Appmon we have that can help if we're attacked."

Maki returned a slow, bitter nod. "…which I don't have."

As her head dropped, Haru jumped in. "Oh no! He didn't mean it like that!"

"Hey, if you need a Digimon, why you take one of ours?!" Tagiru blurted.

Haru gasped for a moment, but followed with an aggressive nod. He pulled out his appdrive. "Yeah! I have a bunch of Appmon I never use!"

Tagiru scanned the horde in his Fusion Loader. "Seriously, I don't remember how I got half of these!"

Maki rolled her eyes. "Tapirmon was specially tailored to be my partner for life. If there is an answer to the void he created, it's not 'get another dog.'"

"Oh… sorry…" Haru got quieter, but his smile remained. "I know what you're going through. Some things are irreplaceable." Rei added a nod.

It pacified Maki, but made Daigo nervous. They were an easy segue away from spilling the secret. Haru made eye contact with him. Daigo wasn't sure if something in his eyes gave his fear away, but Haru turned back to Maki and said, "You should try to have fun at the festival."

"I think I've outgrown festivals," said Maki.

Any relief Daigo had over Haru redirecting the topic vanished. "You used to love festivals."

"Eri says they're focusing less on the festival and more on the party," said Haru. "Music, dancing… there's a lot to get lost in."

"Maybe think of it less as a festival and more of a distraction."

Maki pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I don't mind distractions."

"Yeah!" Tagiru exclaimed. "We aren't little kids anymore, plus there aren't any adults!" Daigo held out a finger, but elected against correcting him. "We can party for real!"

She shook her head. "I guess."

"Heck, do you only hang out with your old team? No wonder you're stuck! Mix it up!"

"That… hasn't worked out very well."

"Well fine then!" Tagiru gestured at Haru and Rei. "Since these two losers got stuck working…" He approached her and held out a hand, wearing a giant grin. "Will you be my date?"

Haru, Daigo, and Bearmon's eyes bulged at once. Maki barely reacted at first, maybe her eyes widening a bit. The boys turned to her for a proper response.

It came as laughter. First a snicker, then a full-on belly laugh. Daigo smirked at Bearmon.

When her fit subsided, she wiped a tear from her eye and answered, "You know what? Sure. Why not?" Daigo nearly collapsed.

Tagiru nodded, pulling his empty hand back. "Cool! It'll be fun!"

Haru recovered from the shock first. "I hope you two have a good time. Eri has a lot of cool stuff planned."

"I saw them building a couple things before we moved." Maki smirked. "What have you heard?"

Just like that, before Daigo was ready, the conversation turned into something ordinary, just a bunch of teenagers hyping themselves up for an ultimately meaningless celebration. Maki was right in the center of it, giving and receiving with strangers, no trace of her trauma in sight, sweet-talking her way through anything the way she always could.

Pleased as he was to see her smile, it still concerned him. All the work he put in to help her move on, and one chat with Haru and Tagiru showed more promise. Was Tagiru right? Did moving on from Tapirmon really require moving on from her entire team? Daigo hated imagining not only being unable to help someone so important to him, but that he could even be holding her back.

He forced himself to smile and join in. "I helped build a couple of the food stands. We'll be eating great." Tagiru's smile grew. Maki's held. Daigo convinced himself progress was progress no matter what.

* * *

Jeri Katou looked forward to having Koichi to herself for a party. Organized events had been the one source of imbalance in her two relationships since one of her boyfriends always organized them. Eri taking the reins on Cerealia freed him up to be a full-fledged date. She'd still spend time with Takato—they'd choreographed this dance long ago—but attending with Koichi excited her.

They still had obligations, but at least they were before the festivities started. Since the settlement opted against industrial kitchens capable of feeding everybody, they rode up early with Tommy and Suzie to provide much of the food. Astra tagged along to help with signage and set up the music.

Good thing too since they needed help getting everything off the train. "I am not feeling this," said Mediamon as he deposited a giant cooler on the taxi.

Suzie and Tommy struggled to maneuver a grill on board. "Can't you turn into Blizzardmon or something?!" she shouted, strained by the weight.

"Takuya wanted mine and Zoe's spirits back in case they got attacked again," he replied with a grunt.

"No fair. I'd rather look at Kumamon than you."

Tommy gave the grill one final tug and dropped it on board. "We'll see Takuya tonight. We can arrange something. You can even pet him!"

"I would not recommend that, Tommy. Suzie's a hugger," mumbled Lopmon.

Once everything was on board, Meiko drove everything to the settlement and started unloading. Jeri tried to help, but between Meiko, a few internationals, and Ai and Mako, all the food was off the taxi in minutes. She was impressed with their efficiency; even Impmon hauled a couple boxes away.

Jeri leaned in towards Meiko and asked, "How did you get him to help?"

Meiko smiled. "After Meicoomon, managing Impmon's a piece of cake."

The next stop was the courtyard above the main hall. When complete, three stories of buildings would surround the flat grassy expanse, but only the first floor was ready, with the second half-filled with wooden boxes, each attached to the steel framing to become a dorm. The treetops visible thanks to the missing floor and a half replaced any visual appeal ruined by the open construction. More importantly, the small stands of food, games, and random activities crossed the courtyard in neat rows.

"Wow. There's so much here." The admiration in Koichi's voice was clear, but so was the humbling tone of inadequacy. Jeri squeezed his hand.

"No kidding!" Astra's exuberance had nothing to mute it. "African mask painting… Chinese fiddling… New York pizza… I'm totally feeling it!"

"There's room to add Japanese tea ceremony if you want," said Eri, sneaking up behind them. Jeri frowned and shared an uncertain look with Koichi.

Astra's smile grew further when he saw her, but his tone didn't change. "And miss all the other stuff going on? We're filming everything!"

"Gonna be the best video ever, yo!" added Musimon.

Suzie stepped in front of them, her duffel bag nearly slamming into Musimon's head. "Do you need us for anything else right now?"

Eri thought for a moment, then answered, "No, but we'll need to get all the food to the right spots a little later."

"Oh. 'Cause I wanted to put on my yukata."

"Yukata?!" Eri winced, turning to Koichi. "We're supposed to wear yukata?!"

Koichi nodded. "Some do. Some don't."

"What happens when the dancing starts?"

"Don't worry!" Suzie patted her bag. "I've got my rave gear in here too."

Eri backed away, eyes wide and twitching. "It's… it's not a rave!"

"It's not?!" Astra and Musimon shouted.

Musimon frowned. "Astra, I gotta redo my playlist. Can you help?" Astra nodded and they dashed off.

"Eri?" asked Ai. "What's a rave?"

After a few deep breaths, Eri said, "Uh… anyway Suzie, I'm sure we can handle the food ourselves if you want to change." She looked at Meiko for confirmation and got a nod. Not only did Suzie bail, so did Tommy, Ai, and Mako. Jeri hoped they would return when needed again.

When Meiko left for her own preparations, Jeri and Koichi followed Eri downstairs to the hall. Except for the temporary dance surface, the floor was still bare, but the walls were finished, painted and decorated. A full stage now occupied the far end, with curtains hiding wings and a backstage area. Drums, keyboards, and two guitars on stands sat there, all wired to the mass of speakers surrounding it.

Koichi couldn't believe how superior the room was to the hall back home. "We may have to run every big thing out here now."

Eri grinned. "Bring it on."

Jeri took a deep breath. The three of them were as alone as they would get. It had to be now. "Um… Eri… I know you're busy, but we need to ask you something."

The change in tone deflated Eri. She knew this wasn't about the party. With a gulp, she replied, "Okay?"

Staring at Koichi for support, Jeri closed her eyes. "What are your friends doing at Isthmian?" Eri tensed up even more, a bad sign for a question so vague.

Koichi lowered his head. "I really didn't mean to overhear, but it sounded like you gave someone the password to make river orders."

"Sometimes there are a bunch of extra boxes to put on the train. The labels don't look like Ryouma or Sora ordered them. When I check the system, nobody did."

Eri gritted her teeth, eying an escape route. Jeri hated this. She had worked with Eri just long enough to realize how special she was. The signs were too glaring and too pointed at her to ignore, but Jeri still hoped she'd wiggle out, even when she was the one cornering her.

"I haven't told Tai yet," Jeri said, determined to keep her suspect calm. "But if they're ordering things unchecked we can't ignore it."

The minute-long staring contest that followed reassured her. There was anger in Eri's eyes for sure, but not enough to suggest a sinister plot behind them. There was more worry and fear. That could have meant anything. Jeri hoped for the best.

"I don't know what they're ordering," said Eri in a hushed voice, looking away. "I don't know what they're doing. I just know I support them."

"Support them in what?"

Eri shook her head. "Haru's… searching for something. That's all I can say." Her eyes sharpened, slicing straight at Jeri's. "And Tai can't know about it."

Now Koichi stepped in: "But he made a hidden account. He's ordering without authorization. We don't know what he's getting."

"To be honest, we should have gone to Tai right away," said Jeri.

"It's Haru," Eri insisted, louder now. "Why would you think he's doing something bad? He just…" She inhaled through her nose. "He just needs to find this."

Koichi turned to Jeri. "We could talk to him tonight."

"He's not coming." Eri turned her head, her fire replaced with disappointment. "Haru and Rei offered to stay behind tonight."

"So… unsupervised?"

"They're not going to wreck the place! You can trust Haru."

Her word was good enough for Jeri, but that wasn't the problem anymore. Secret unauthorized shipments? Covering their tracks in the system? Offering to miss the event of the season for the cause? Even if the cause was benevolent—and Jeri trusted that it was—the warnings were all there.

"I won't tell anybody," she said, head down and with little confidence in her choice. She didn't let Eri get a sigh of relief in before looking up. The next part she was certain of: "But please promise me you'll tell someone if it gets out of hand."

"Huh?"

"I hope he finds whatever it is he's looking for. But I've seen this before." She gulped, fighting back the nightmare she didn't share. The one she told herself didn't matter. The one this world remedied by pulling them here and saving them from themselves. "If you're not careful… he'll be lost too."

* * *

JP Shibayama knew it was a farce, but still surged with excitement as he entered the courtyard with a lady on each arm. That alone would have turned some heads, but their outfits stopped everyone dead. He struggled not to stare at Airu's sparkling pink backless dress, only to turn and see Angie's red one-shoulder cut flowing down to a slit skirt. Looking straight down, he didn't recognize his custom-fit unbuttoned navy coat and new dress shirt and slacks. His dates vetoed his usual choices to measure and plot a new ensemble for him. Nobody's eyes could avoid marveling at the three of them together.

They relished every second of it, parading up and down the rows of stands, smiling and nodding at the onlookers and enjoying their brush with either fame or infamy (Airu assured JP and Angie there wasn't much difference). None of the international kids knew they were bottom-feeders at the castle. Even if they did, all they learned was how swanky the bottom-feeders were. Maybe they gave hope to the low end of whatever social hierarchy the new settlement was developing.

"Who's up for takoyaki?" JP asked as they neared a stand.

Airu patted his arm. "Sounds delightful!" she said, exaggerating both her smile and tone.

JP led his ladies to the stand. "Three please."

Hideaki stared at them in befuddlement, eyes drifting between Airu and Angie. He shook his head. "Nope. Not asking questions. 600 yen."

"600 yen?!" Angie repeated in confusion. "Nobody has money here!"

He handed over a plate of puffs in dismay. "Yeah, I'm trying to fix that."

They barely got in a bite before Zoe approached them alongside her own date, both in yukata. "Well well, what's this about?"

JP grinned and pulled Angie and Airu in closer. "You could have gotten in on this, Z."

Head cocked and eyes squinting, Jeremy asked, "Seriously Angie, what's going on?"

When Angie sneered back, head shaking, Airu pulled herself (and her takoyaki) closer to JP. "What's there to explain? Plenty of him to go around."

"You're getting sauce on his coat."

As JP pulled away to check it, Zoe covered her smile, stifling a giggle. "So are you three just goofing off or is this, like, real? Like a Koichi thing?"

"Why don't you use your imagination?" answered Airu with a wink, pulling even closer to JP, crushing her takoyaki between its plate and his coat.

Zoe paused, then winced, then shuddered, then tried to shake out whatever popped into her head. Jeremy kept a straight face at first, but a grin slowly grew, then a repeated nod followed. She noticed and jabbed an elbow into his ribs.

"Either way, Angie, it's an upgrade from just going with Ewan all the time," he blurted.

Instantly, Airu snaked around, twisting JP until she was in Angie's face, scowling with a judging glare. "Ewan went out with _you_?"

Angie backpedaled in terror, but only for a moment. "Jeez, only because we didn't want to find real dates." She threw her hands on her hips. "And what, you think Ewan's too good for me?"

"Of course he is. You and his other pathetic fangirls need to keep away from him."

After rolling her eyes, Angie smirked at her. "You know… the first time I spent the night in his room…"

Airu backed away, hands on her cheeks. "No! He wouldn't!"

JP was just confused. "Wait, I thought that was just 'cause Nene locked you out."

Still, Jeremy leaned forward and grabbed Airu's shoulder. "Why are you antagonizing her?!" her shouted.

"Oh come on…" Angie folded her arms and muttered, "We're all just having a fun date, right? We can't pick on someone's obsession with Ewan?" She scoffed.

"I am not obsessed with Ewan!" shouted Airu.

"Airu! Airu!" Opossummon floated in on his balloons, falling into her hunter's arms. "I found Ewan! He's downstairs in the kitchen!"

Airu winced, meeting Angie's satisfied stare and JP's look of disapproval. She grunted. "Oh forget these two, let's go get him." Opossummon steered her away from the two and she took off running.

After a long silence, Zoe said, "Wow, is she for real?" JP nodded. "I kinda see why you like her."

"What? Huh?" JP stammered, prompting giggles.

Angie nodded. "What was that? Half an hour before she bailed?"

"Something like that," muttered JP. "Didn't even help with set-up." He took a deep breath. "So what now?"

Zoe threw her arms around both JP and Angie, snatching Angie's takoyaki away and stuffing it in her mouth. "Now we go downstairs and dance!"

JP looked to Angie. Annoyed as he was with Zoe snatching her food, she looked back to find an awkward, clumsy smile. She shrugged. "Let's dance."

* * *

Maki Himekawa had no confidence in the evening's plans whatsoever. She accepted Tagiru's offer because he was something different. Not hopeful, not exciting, and certainly not appealing. Just different. The usual script called for sulking in a corner of the room as Daigo wasted his night trying to coax her into a dance. She'd performed that one before and saw no value in an encore. Switching it up felt like a sensible move. Even if the presence of everyone and their Digimon having a good time drove her back to the corner, at least it was Tagiru's problem and freed Daigo to enjoy himself.

Even during the trip down, she doubted herself. Her simple black dress looked prudish compared to the colors around her. Boys in yukata, girls in every shade of dress imaginable, and the assortment of Digimon brought excitement to the ride. The chatter on the train suggested she was supposed to feel something. Maybe she did have a twinge of eager anticipation while blinded by the brightness and deaf from the noise.

Her pervading thought was of being surrounded by children. For someone who had adulthood thrown at her in the unkindest way, it was a common refrain. But the buzz around this festival blurred those lines. Yes, Maki saw everyone act like children, but only after weeks of seeing them fight for their dignity while living in a cramped train, plan and construct a new settlement, and mourn and honor a fallen companion. Even if they didn't reach her depths, she also knew many of the kids around her suffered their share of hardships, yet were still capable of abandoning them for a night of indulgence. No matter how she viewed herself, Maki was still a child too; surely she could try to do the same.

Tagiru was so bad at pretending to be an adult he helped sustain the illusion. He chose black too, on the jacket he couldn't keep free of wrinkles for one week, and on the bowtie he didn't realize was crooked. Even Gumdramon kept his straight, an absurd sight neutering any resentment over the plethora of Digimon fighting for him. Tagiru couldn't have had any real romantic interest in Maki. He was too outspoken, too blunt to hide that card under a stated motivation of just having fun. Whether this date implied actual dancing or drifting apart to respective sides of the wall like sixth graders, she was fine with it either way.

The dance itself turned out to be more than she was ready for. The laser lights, the fog machine, and the giant speakers Musimon took full advantage of drew everybody into its spell. The loud bass thumps rattled her, daring her heart to match its tempo. Closer to the stage, swaying lights and glow sticks revealed close, often inappropriate, dance positions. They were still children playing, but it was anything but childish. With no whiff of responsibility, they were free to dabble in the parts of adulthood that amused and aroused them, leaving reality behind for a night.

Still, when Tagiru wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her into the chaos, she resisted. Letting alternatives intrigue her from afar was different than jumping in herself. Tagiru let go, but bounced around in place to the music. "Let's go, this is what we're here for!" he said, more impatient than forceful.

If everyone thought Maki's sneaking ability was good, they hadn't seen Ryouma's. "Maybe the lady doesn't want to dance with you." His effort to sound smooth and his effort to make himself heard over the music canceled each other out.

"Get lost, Ryouma." Tagiru rolled his eyes as he spun around. "No hating just because I found a date and you didn't."

"Looking a little lonely there, huh?" added Gumdramon, sharing a devious grin with his hunter.

Ryouma held his smile, but leaned back and looked away. "I don't need to pretend to take an interest in someone to enjoy myself."

"You're not fooling me," said Maki, not as loud as necessary but enough to catch his attention. She adjusted her volume and continued: "Given what I know about your history, it isn't hard to read you."

His smile faded, but only for a moment. The smirk returned as he leaned in to meet her face-to-face. "What are you reading then?"

"Humiliation." The smirk vanished for good.

"Boom!" shouted an ecstatic Tagiru, bouncing around and raising and dropping his hand dramatically before high-fiving Gumdramon. "She got you there!"

Ryouma coughed, avoiding eye contact. "Well… the surprise I had with Psychemon is sure to mess anybody up."

"Oh please, you were messed up way before that!"

Maki chuckled along. Not that she was in any position to ridicule someone for struggling to cope with the loss of a partner. She actually sympathized with Ryouma a lot. Enough that spending recreational time with such an open head case made her feel less alone. And the thought of someone going from a strange personality to a strange personality with obvious damage was oddly comforting to her. No matter what had happened, perhaps her old self wasn't lost forever.

"So did you want to dance with us?"

Ryouma raised an eyebrow at her, but turned away. "Why risk embarrassing myself further?"

"That ain't possible!" shouted Gumdramon.

"Yeah, let's do this!" added Tagiru, pumping a fist.

Maki had a smile ready for when Ryouma looked her way again. Whether it was kind or devious—she didn't know if she was capable of generating either anymore—it broke him down. "Very well," he said, stepping beside her and extending an arm. Maki took it, and one of Tagiru's, and let the boy hunters lead the way.

Tempting as it could have been, she didn't want to pick Ryouma's brain the way she'd tried with Meiko. His had too many cobwebs to sift through. She probably couldn't have tolerated him for long on his own. But he and Tagiru countered each other's wild personalities, taking the focus off her and allowing her to dance along with them and appreciate the entertainment value. It took no time for her feet to start bouncing. How could she not, stuck between an uncontrollable rubber ball and a preening peacock on the dance floor?

The lights and sounds kept creeping in, building up energy within her and daring her to succumb and release it. For a moment, she hesitated, realizing they weren't the only ones in the room. It was too dark to tell if any of her teammates could see her. Maki gave in, her arms shaking and her body twisting around, unrefined and uncaring, dancing like the carefree girl she used to be. Gumdramon cheered and jumped in, taking her hands and letting her swing him around in a circle. She laughed.

Part of her was still aware of potential onlookers, but she cast them aside. They were all probably scarred weirdos too. Now she kind of wanted to find out.

* * *

Airu Suzaki scowled at Ewan's insistence at spending his recreational time with other people. How was she supposed to carry out a reasonable task like isolating and trapping him when he kept roaming the festival with Mikey and the scuba girl from that hunt years ago? Mizuki may have been Mikey's date, but Airu knew Ewan's charm would woo her over with enough exposure. If even Angie couldn't resist Ewan, there was no doubt whom the prime cut was between those two boys.

She had to separate them and get Ewan in her clutches fast. Perched atop one of the unfinished dorms, she watched the three in the courtyard, flinching any time Ewan and Mizuki said anything to each other. They made their way down one row of booths, which Airu calculated to mean that they'd be near a fishing game in three minutes. Thanking her luck, she adjusted and planned for the inevitable scenario.

"Hey, fishing!" Mikey's sensed a challenge the moment he approached the stand. "You game, Mizuki?"

"Oh, you're on!" she replied.

Airu grinned at their predictability. It widened seeing Ewan roll his eyes at the impending contest.

Being the polite gentleman he was, Ewan lingered around the pool as Mikey and Mizuki spent way too much effort trying to catch tiny fish. He stepped away from the foot traffic, his back to the wall. Airu already had her Fusion Loader in hand and needed just a swipe to evolve her Digimon.

ChoHakkaimon bounded through the air, landing behind Ewan. She clutched him with one hand, the other using her rocket rake to propel them both high into the air. Airu figured taking a high arc would mask the landing site from possible witnesses. If there were any, they didn't seem to care.

A few seconds later, the pig-girl shot downward towards the dorm. Her hunter stretched out her hands and cooed, "Come to Airu…"

Instead of slowing her descent, ChoHakkaimon crashed through the drywall, splintering several wooden joists and sending Airu falling with them. The floor below held, the Digimon taking all of the damage from the fall and cushioning Airu's landing. ChoHakkaimon reverted back to Opossummon on contact, who then flew into the Fusion Loader as both Airu and Ewan covered their heads from any falling debris.

Once realizing all that landed on them was a dusting of gypsum, Ewan rose to his knees. His eyes were closed and his fists clenched and shook, but in the most sincere tone he could muster, asked, "Are you okay?"

Airu hopped to her feet, combed the dust out of her hair with her hand, and smoothed her dress. With a big smile, she answered, "Fine now that you're here."

"What do you want?" His hands still shook.

She threw her hands behind her back and swayed her shoulders. "I just wanted to catch up."

Ewan looked up at the giant hole in the ceiling. "Uh huh."

The room they landed in suited her purposes fine. A common area and unfinished kitchen led to what would someday be a bathroom and five small bedrooms. Several cots lined the area to offer temporary sleeping space to the construction team and, for that night, anyone too partied out to take the train home. The new sunroof gave them plenty of light.

With no doors to the private rooms yet, they saw all the gawkers peering in from the courtyard through the far window. Both of them grimaced and waved them off, assuring them they were all right. Still, they found a corner away from any onlookers before the conversation began.

"You've been avoiding me." From his unsteady hands and refusal to make eye contact, she knew she had the advantage.

Ewan sat on one of the beds. "I'll be frank," he started, his voice low and uncertain, far from the steady overachiever she knew him as. "Being around you is dangerous."

She gasped. "Why would you say that?" Another splinter of wood fell from the ceiling. With a snort, she asked, "Is that why you never stayed in touch after our date?"

"It wasn't a date!" Now he was adamant, staring straight at her. With those eyes, she didn't mind his anger. "We just… ran into each other randomly and decided to get lunch. That was it."

"It was a nice coincidence," she answered, fondly recalling the hours of cyber-stalking the coincidence required. "But if I'm so dangerous, why do lunch in the first place?"

If he remained angry, he redirected it to himself, looking aside and slouching. "I don't know… the hunt was such a strange thing. I still don't know what to make of it. Looking back I wish I stayed more in touch with other hunters besides Mikey. Just to talk about it and maybe understand it better." He shrugged. "Then you come along and I wonder if maybe you're not so deranged anymore."

Her first instinct was to lash out at him for ever thinking she was deranged. But she heard that sort of attack all the time and knew how to brush it aside. Instead she could dwell on his prior point. No tricks involved. She joined him on the bed, close enough to make him scoot over a few inches. "I could have used that. Ryouma and Ren aren't much fun when we're not plotting." She was going for sincerity, but surprised at how much sadness eeked out. "It was hard when Opossummon left. For some reason people have a hard time connecting with me."

Ewan opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. He switched course but was no less hesitant. "I… know what you mean." His eyes darted the room, his hands trembling more as he added, "I don't share much."

"I've noticed," she said, a little too playful than was probably wise. It was one aspect she craved most about him. "So what did I say during lunch that convinced you I was still deranged?"

He gestured at the hole. "The way you pulled me in here speaks for itself."

Airu snickered. Him dodging questions emboldened her to be more precise. She leaned in closer. "Oh no… I meant that lunch we had. I was on my best behavior, but you still decided I was crazy and wanted nothing to do with me."

"It… doesn't matter." Ewan craned his neck away from her, clutching his hands to try to stop the shaking. "You're still insane either way."

She scooted closer, pressing her body against his back. "I never let on that I was still… interesting. And you wanted to stay in touch with hunters. Why not with me?"

"Why are you obsessed over me?" he blurted. "I'm not that great."

"But you are." Airu wanted to say more but held back. Ewan wasn't a sucker for flattery. Instead, she twisted his shoulder around, forcing his face into sight. "And to top it off you're cute. When I see something cute…" Two of her fingers trailed up his chest. "…I hunt it."

What she saw of his face contorted in an instant, steeling into something unrecognizable. Ewan's already-clenched teeth gnashed harder, the corner of his mouth curling into a wicked smile. His eyes sharpened, focused square on her lips. His arms attacked like snakes, fingernails digging into her shoulders like fangs. They latched on, pulling the two closer together so quickly she barely had time to gasp before his mouth covered hers.

It wasn't the sweet kiss she had always imagined but a full devouring. His tongue slid into her mouth, awakening hers to dance. The sensation of floating bliss that came with being acknowledged by Ewan Amano gave way to a feeling of falling that was entirely real. Airu landed on the bed, Ewan's hands pinning her shoulders, helped now by his upper body and unrelenting lips. The impact forced her to open her eyes; his were slammed shut.

One hand unhooked itself from her shoulder to drift down her side, trailing up and down her waist, hip, and thigh, adding another sensation of delight. She was still in shock, not only at his sudden, almost violent, impulse, but at her total lack of control. It wasn't entirely real: Airu was too smart and too skilled not to have an arsenal of counters for this sort of thing. Part of her brain worked out exactly how to turn this around and unleash her wrath. The louder part demanded she ride this out, not only because she found it thrilling as hell, but to see just how far this boy was capable of taking it.

Not much farther, it turned out. His hand drifted inward to her stomach, holding long enough to suspect a move up or down. Instead, he pushed into and off her diaphragm, forcing a painful gasp her mouth was now free to release. Ewan sat up, hovering over her, his head wobbling and his body shaking, eyes wide and stricken with panic. He tried to say something but could only stare at her and pant.

The same applied to Airu, unable even to move her arms to rub her spasming chest. Unable to muster any explanation, Ewan stumbled to his feet and ran staggering out of the room, tripping over a fallen piece of lumber along the way. Airu stared at the ceiling, still too stunned to move.

"Excuse me!" Michael's voice in the hallway suggested she should run. Her body didn't respond. She managed to glance at the doorway as he and Betamon entered and stood over the wreckage. A white PawnChessmon followed and noticed her. His partner rushed in, saw Airu, and rushed up to her.

"Are you okay?!" Megumi asked, glancing back at the entrance as if she'd somehow still see Ewan fleeing.

Airu saw the concern on her face and chuckled, answering, "Oh… I'm wonderful."

* * *

Rika Nonaka doubted she would enjoy the dance music all that much, but the compulsion to bounce around a little with Ken (and Wormmon stubbornly perched on his shoulder) was too strong to ignore. She just wanted to get in there, ideally with a few other friends, get it out of her system, and retreat to some place quieter. A distraction also worked, and they saw a good one outside the hall as Davis, Yolei, and their Digimon lurked behind the doorway, sneaking peeks at the action inside.

"You two don't look at all suspicious," she said, startling both of them back to the wall.

"When you said you were going to cheer Cody on from the sidelines, I didn't think you'd be that literal," said Ken.

Yolei dismissed him with a wave. "Come on, he's never met her in person and now they're together at a dance. This needs to happen!"

"Who are you talking about?" Rika asked Ken, already regretting taking an interest.

"A digidestined from Germany," Ken replied. "They talked a lot on the forums. This is the first time they've been in the same room."

"Too bad it's a big room," Yolei grumbled, staring inside. "Come on, Cody. Anna and I put a lot of work into this!"

"They're looking across the room at each other," said Hawkmon. "Just not at the same time. That's important, right?"

Veemon peered in. "Maybe he needs a wingman. Get in there, Hawkmon!"

"Why me?"

"You're the only one here with wings, dummy."

"Ah yes, I suppose…" Hawkmon entered without protest.

Rika did not join Davis and Yolei's spying. She was about to barge past them with Ken when Yolei pulled back suddenly. "Incoming."

"I think you mean outgoing," said Veemon.

They acted casual as Tagiru, Maki, and Gumdramon rushed out, the hunter laughing the whole way. Even Maki had a grin on her face. Veemon high-fived Gumdramon's tail.

"Hey Davis! What do you suggest for drinks here?" asked Tagiru, forcing Davis's attention away from Maki.

He grinned back, not missing a beat. "Anything with milk in it!"

"Cool!" Tagiru pointed at Maki with both hands. "Sit tight with these guys, we're on this!" He and Gumdramon charged down the hallway.

Still with an eye on Maki, Yolei called out, "Hey, wait!" It was too weak for him to hear. "Uh, kinda could use a drink myself."

"On it!" shouted Veemon, sprinting away before Davis could stop him. Everyone else was stuck. Ken and Yolei fidgeted. Even Rika shrunk against the wall. She didn't know how they'd respond to Maki's presence, only that she didn't want to be anywhere near them.

Davis, of course, attacked it head on: "So, you look like you're having a good time."

"Hm?" Maki looked up, surprised at the effort at small talk. "Yes… I suppose so. I'm surprised." She offered a tiny bow. "I don't think we've met. I'm Maki."

"Oh we know who you are…" Yolei said, drawing looks from Davis and Ken. "I mean, uh… you're one of the originals, right?"

Maki raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are you from the future? Or… my future? I guess?"

"Your future indeed!" said Davis. "I'm Davis, and this is Ken and Yolei. And Rika's from a world where we're a cartoon!"

Now Maki's scrutiny was on Rika, which she did not appreciate, glaring at Davis in response. Despite the eyes on Rika, Maki said, "I hope none of you tried to tell Daigo about his future?"

"Oh, that was Cody." Davis waved it off. "Nah, we've gotten pretty good at not spoiling stuff."

Yolei threw her hands behind her head. "Wasn't hard… I mean getting blindsided and captured, knocked out for a few months, stuck in a hospital bed… they're not exactly fond memories." Rika and Ken cringed.

"That does sounds awful," Maki said, a little too matter-of-fact for Rika's taste.

"Pssh, but look who we're talking to," Davis gestured at Maki. "You lost a partner."

Nobody appreciated it coming up. Maki joined Rika and Ken's cringing. Yolei cupped her mouth, hiding a shocked grin. Maki glanced at everyone before looking down. "As she said, not exactly a fond a memory. I prefer to dwell on his life more than his death."

"Are you… holding up all right?" Ken asked.

She had to think about it. "Some days are better than others. Tonight there's enough going on it's easier to forget what we lost."

"Ken knows how it feels," said Wormmon. "He lost me once."

"Not for good, it would seem. Apparently I didn't deserve another chance."

"It's not about who deserves it." Ken eyed the ground. Rika squeezed his arm. "I know I didn't deserve to get Wormmon back." He paused, lost in a train of thought. With a slow exhale he looked up at Maki. "But I did lose someone forever once. It took me down a very dark road." He stared at his would-be betrayer, pushing past the memories she recalled. "It can lead you to do some terrible things."

Maki gulped and blinked a few times before offering a hasty nod. "I… I can believe that."

Nobody spoke for a while, Rika too stunned at the kind smile creeping on Davis's face as he stared back.

Everybody jumped when Tagiru, Gumdramon and Veemon barreled in with shouts of, "We got milkshakes!"

Ken chuckled, eyes still on her. "It was nice to meet you, Maki." He leaned forward and extended a hand.

Maki nodded and shook it. "Yes. I… hope we can talk in the future." At first she offered a smirk, but it grew into a genuine smile.

Tagiru jammed a glass in her hand and ushered her back into the hall. "C'mon c'mon, they're playing dubstep!"

"What the hell is dubstep?"

Everyone else watched them leave in silence, save for the loud slurping of Veemon drinking Davis's milkshake. Once it was clear Maki wouldn't hear them over the "music," Yolei exploded into a giggle. "Oh my God, did that just happen?"

"That was awesome," said Davis with a satisfied smile.

"I'm kind of at peace with all that now," Ken said.

"Yeah, there's a bit of closure there," said Yolei. "But wow, Ken, you really went there!"

Ken nodded. "I've wondered about her since it happened. But it was nice to see for real."

Davis raised a glass. "A toast to Himekawa!"

Before the others could join him, Meiko charged in from behind. "Do you all know who that was?" Her outfit—a pseudo-schoolgirl blouse, red ribbons, and layered skirt far too short for her taste—diminished the impact of her shocked interruption.

In fact, Yolei raised a glass to her instead. "Meimei!"

Meiko blinked. "Are… you're using Meimei? We never talked that much."

Yolei ignored her. "You look great! Ready for the big show?"

"Trying not to think about it. Me on stage with two professionals? It'll be a disaster." Meiko scanned the four. "Where's Cody?"

Davis grinned. "In there trying to speak the language of love."

"Yep, German!" added Veemon.

Meiko's eyes widened. "Oh, is that girl from the forums in there?" She peeked through the doorway. "I hope that works out." She stopped and turned to them again. "You're not spying on them, are you?"

"Not much else to do until my date gets back," said Yolei, bitter. "Michael finally asks me out after promising me a date a century ago and he's stuck dealing with that crash upstairs."

Meiko looked aside. "I'm surprised no one's concerned about that." She brushed it off. "But why were you talking to Himekawa?"

"Why not?! It's like staring at a car on fire!"

"I…" Ken tried to hide a grin. "Wouldn't use those words but it was… enlightening."

"But…" Meiko checked the eyes of all three of them, frustrated by their dismissive faces. "After what she was responsible for? What happened to you?" If anything, they looked more confused. "You guys almost died because of her."

Rika scoffed. "Nobody likes a tattletale, Meimei," she blurted.

"Have we even met?!" Rika cracked a smile, appreciating her ability to break Meiko so easily.

Davis shrugged. "I don't know. Someone goes that far and you just gotta wonder what got them to that point."

With some reluctance, Yolei nodded. "Yeah… I mean I'm still kinda mad about it, but if I had to hate everybody who nearly got me killed I wouldn't be able to hang out with these three."

The boys nodded… at first. Then Ken glanced at his date and asked. "Um… what did Rika do?"

Rika had already folded her arms in contempt. "Nothing, she's being dramatic," she insisted. "I knew she'd survive that fall."

"Oh…" They'd almost forgotten Meiko was with them. "I guess you all are more forgiving than me." She sighed. "I should get backstage before Eri thinks I tried to run. Wish me luck."

As she ducked between them into the hall, Yolei said, "Break a leg!"

Meiko raised an acknowledging hand. "I can imagine worse happening…"

Davis waited until she was gone before grinning at the team. "Yep, that's the Meiko I remember."

"I will give her this," said Rika. "She's dealing with losing her partner really well."

"Compared to who? Maki?" Yolei snickered.

Rika cast her eyes to the ground. Now she wished she hadn't brought it up. In her world, losing a partner wasn't the exception to the rule. It was the norm. Back there, she would have harbored a grudge towards anyone with Meiko's attitude. She wouldn't have been alone.

"Yeah… Maki," she lied.

* * *

Torajiro Asuka had hoped to feature every booth at the festival in his Cerealia coverage, but got so invested in them he still had a row to go when night fell. He didn't hate many things, but time was his perennial foe. No matter how carefully he tried to ration and control it, he never had enough for everything he wanted to do. At the party of the season, nightfall foreshadowed the ending. Even if there was still plenty left on the schedule, it was an unwelcome reminder. He stared into the starry sky, pouted, and pointed his index fingers to the ground.

"We could keep hitting booths, but don't you want to cover the dance too?" asked Kari as she adjusted the settings on the camera to account for the change in lighting.

"Cover it? Musimon's on the turntable. We gotta get down there and enjoy it! Can't dance with a camera in your hand!" This wasn't true: Astra had done it before. But some moments needed to be savored off-camera and he wasn't letting the party slip without letting loose to loud house music.

Kari looked up. "We? Like with me?" Astra nodded. "You don't want to find your friends or Davis or something?"

"Nah, dancing with you's more fun. Davis is, uh… all over the place."

She chuckled. "I'm well aware."

"Really fun kisser though! Highly recommended!"

Returning to her camera to mask the red on her face, Kari blurted, "Uh, how about we truck through the row we missed to wrap up?"

"There we go!"

They didn't need to communicate anything else. He positioned himself at the end of a row as she stood a few feet in front of him, checking back and clearing any obstacles. Kari held up a hand, started the camera, and pointed. He stepped forward as she walked backwards at the same speed.

"There was even more stuff than that to do here! I wish we had time for it all! But this was such a cool day, and an even better night! As great as the festival was, wait until we go downstairs!" Astra stopped to pull aside a couple at the nearest booth. "Hey, you two hitting the dance floor later?"

Joe rubbed his neck. "Uh… I don't know… haven't planned that-"

Yoshi slapped his chest. "Yes. We're dancing."

"Hoo! Better do what she says!" Astra elbowed his side. "So, having a good time you two?" He leaned in and smirked.

"Sure…" Yoshi said half-heartedly. "I'm hoping it picks up tonight though."

Astra snickered. "What, like after it's over?"

"If only." Her eyes bulged as she caught herself, straying to Kari and the camera. "Wait, are you recording this?! I-I… didn't mean it like…"

Barging in front of her with his hand signs, Astra blurted, "Hope everyone had a good time at Cerealia! Can't wait for next year! Bye!"

Kari smiled. "That'll do it!"

"Sweet, let's get downstairs!" Astra turned to Yoshi, still reeling. "Thanks, lady!"

The dance hall was packed by the time they arrived. No doubt they weren't the only ones taking the end of daylight as a good time to take the fun inside. Kari weaved through the bodies, catching impressive dance moves from some international kids, poor attempts at impressive dance moves from Kazu and Kenta, and Takuya's efforts to get closer to Sora than a public setting would deem appropriate.

With the footage in the can and the camera stashed away, Astra pulled Kari into the mob. Her attempt at playing coy didn't last once he took her hand and swayed it to the rhythm. She closed her eyes, a blissful smile forming as she gave in to the music.

Why not let go? They'd already had their slow dance and efforts at courtship. They both knew it wasn't a good fit. Astra took an artisanal approach to dates, crafting the perfect experience for her and succeeding. Had he actually wanted to win her heart? He didn't think about questions like that. Astra's priority had always been for both of them to have an amazing time. Worrying about what they were, or what they could become, only got in the way.

Still, he had to admit a particular fondness for spending time with Kari. Behind a camera, she spoke his language, making it easy to realize his passion and assist at every step with a smile. She had a bright spirit he loved to draw out, and he recognized the way she looked at him from the faces of everyone who came to admire him and his work. Seeing it on this side of his online shield gave him as much joy as any number of likes or subscribers. He would have loved to receive this from anybody, but here it was from a cute girl, now looking her absolute best, the lights reflecting off her like a mirror ball, dazzling everything around her.

The music transitioned to a slowjam, allowing more intimate dancing that all the couples around them took advantage of. Astra didn't remember this from the playlist he helped Musimon arrange, and suspected his buddy was trolling him. If so, he applauded it. He took Kari's hand and waist and led her around the room, her smile and the lights and the music fueling him.

The last few songs of the set were the loudest, fastest, and deepest yet, with more wubs and airhorns than Astra could follow. By the end, they were exhausted and sweaty. As everyone else middled about, applauding Musimon's spinning, he took Kari's hand and raced out of the room, up the stairs, and out of the building. By the time they were outside, both were laughing.

Leaning against the wall, taking in the fresh forest air, Astra looked up to the sky and triumphantly shouted, "This is so groovy!"

Kari closed her eyes and brushed back her hair. "It really is." It wasn't the jubilant cry Astra released but it meant just as much.

After catching their breath, she looked out beyond the stacks of lumber and unfinished dorms to the woods nearby. "Hey, Tora? I'm really glad we figured this out. I know it wasn't really a date and I was afraid it would be weird going as friends but I'm having a really great time."

"You bet, me too! It's like all the pressure's off and we can just have fun, you know? We don't have to impress each other or try to figure out if we're into each other and all that. Just nice and easy." She smiled and nodded back.

Then he added: "Hey, you wanna make out?"

Kari's expression didn't change at first, frozen in place in surprise and confusion. His stare and his friendly, goofy grin, didn't offer any clarification. After a few blinks, she said, "Are… are you serious?"

"Sure! We got some time before Eri's on! We can sneak into the woods for a few minutes."

She looked away, trying and failing to retain the smile. "I, uh… I thought… what… happened to just going as friends?" Her eyes turned back, the puzzlement in them silently adding, "…like we were talking about ten seconds ago."

"Yeah yeah! Nothing serious! We don't wanna miss Eri!"

Somehow this didn't assuage her. "Wait, what about Davis?"

"Make out with him too! It's fun!"

She recoiled. "Do you make out with all your friends?"

"Nah, only the good ones."

"Eri?"

He breathed in the thought like he smelled chocolate. "I wish!"

At first he found her bewilderment cute. When it continued without a response, even an angry rejection, it began to concern him. With a chuckle, he said, "Hey, I'm just throwing it out there. It's okay if you don't want to."

"No, I mean…" she blurted, shooting his eyebrows up. But she shook her head. "No, this is ridiculous. Isn't it?"

He forced a smile. "Only if you think it is." Astra really didn't want to lead her into something she wasn't sure about. But he did want her to make up her mind.

She chuckled to herself. "It does sound kind of fun. But…" He leaned in, waiting for a rebuttal that never came.

"But what?"

"I don't know." Kari's head kept shaking, eyes wandering, looking for the reason to say no or the go-ahead to say yes.

As they waited for either to come to her, the magic faded, killed by the silence and sawdust in the air. Now Kari seemed less like a peer and more like a child being badgered. At first her indecisiveness excited him. All he had now was awkwardness and impatience.

His smile fell for the first time all night. "I'm heading back inside." Kari gasped to protest, but he shook his head. "If you say yes, we roll around for a bit, have a snog, it's great. You say no, we go back in there, hang out with our friends: also fun!" He looked around at the construction site disguised as a front lawn. "Standing here waiting… it's not groovy."

Astra left before she could reply, not that she did. Kari stood alone, the night breeze now more chilly than refreshing. Even with Astra gone, with the offer swept away and discarded, she still wondered what she should have picked. Her mind probed deeper: why couldn't she decide? It wasn't anything she hadn't done before and offered the perfect way to indulge in her stubborn crush with no consequences. Then again, they weren't in a relationship, and no matter how much he downplayed the possibility, how often did innocent flings spawn more volatile, more fragile feelings? What was weirder, her indecisiveness or his lack of it? Now she had even more to ponder on top of a single yes/no question.

At some point, all her thoughts faded away into a blank void. Her eyes, already unfocused and wandering, strayed away even further, their brown color replaced with a rainbow of hues. She remained motionless as the process completed.

With a giggle, Rhythm said, "Well, if you're not going to use it, I'll take it for a spin."

* * *

Gatchmon stared off at the forests and mountains in the distance, the moons casting just enough light for him to see nothing there. If this static picture atop the castle wall was all he had for entertainment, he'd have gone mad within an hour. His only solace was the seven-code band he wrenched from Haru when told to keep watch. After bugging Eri long enough, she gave hers to Dokamon to narrate all the cool stuff they were missing at the festival. Gatchmon needed it to stay awake, but the music and people and life only made him wish he was down there more.

Trusting the nothingness beyond to stay its course, Gatchmon leaped off the wall into the courtyard where Haru typed on his computer, resting on a portable workstation and powered by the longest extension cord they could find. "Haru, next time Takuya calls you into a meeting where you decide stuff like who's stuck on guard duty, I want in."

"Okay." Haru's lack of protest, or emotion of any kind, frustrated Gatchmon further. Leaning over to look at his buddy, Haru said, "Takuya sometimes forgets about you guys since he's sort of his own partner."

"How's Yuujin looking?"

Haru connected a long USB cable to the computer. "We're about to find out."

Rei walked in carrying a cardboard box and a cafeteria chair. "It's ready to load." He set the chair a few yards from the workstation and the box on the chair. Haru strung the cable to the box, opened it, and plugged it in. As he returned to his computer, Rei pulled the contraption out of the box, setting in on the chair and discarding the container. Despite the small portable speakers, an additional motherboard, and extra sensors, Gatchmon still recognized the black cylinder as the frame of a robotic vacuum.

He fell over laughing. "Wait… you're bringing Yuujin back as a Roomba?!"

Snickering to himself as he started a data transfer on the computer, Haru answered, "No, this is just a test. We're replacing its AI code with Yuujin's to see how he responds and if he can connect to the hardware."

Gatchmon returned to his feet, more forceful but unable to shake his smile. "You're bringing Yuujin back as a Roomba."

Haru dismissed it with a head shake. "Sure…"

"The vacuum is designed to coordinate with artificial intelligence," explained Rei. "It's easy to hack and has motor functions."

"Hope that wasn't an Appmon inside there." Gatchmon frowned at the device.

"When we're done, we can replace it and re-attach the vacuum parts," said Hackmon. "Someone has to clean the workshop."

Nobody responded, Haru too fixated with the transfer on his screen as Rei double-checked the parts on the robot. The process dragged on, long enough for Gatchmon to ponder returning to the wall. He resisted despite his boredom. No matter how ridiculous they looked, he knew what it was building to, and how much that meant to Haru. Gatchmon wouldn't miss it for all the parties Eri could throw.

"Installation complete," said Haru, his face neutral despite so much riding on the experiment. Rei set the vacuum on the grass and backed away, taking Haru's place at the computer. Haru stepped forward, kneeling in front of Yuujin's mind.

"Ready?" Rei asked.

"I just need to turn it on, right?"

Rei peeked past the monitor to stare at Haru. "Are you ready?"

Haru took a long breath, his hand slow and cautious as he sifted past Rei's additions to push the button on top of the vacuum. The ring around the button glowed green. He stepped back and let it kick into life.

A few motors whirred and an exhaust fan inside blew, but at first no response came. Haru waited it out, still and silent save for one hand rubbing its fingers together. Gatchmon almost gave up, close to rolling his eyes and returning to the wall where boredom and nothingness meant good news.

Then it happened: the speakers clicked on and they heard a response. Haru leaned forward, face steeled and ready to interpret the results like a scientist, ignoring the tears streaming down his face. Even Gatchmon and Rei gasped, eyes flashing as the distinct, unforgettable voice came through. They were ready to hear somebody, some AI program interpreting pages of code to replicate the personality. Instead, they heard _him_ :

"Haru?" said Yuujin.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 11:** **"Attention Seeker"**  
Tai's self-doubt spirals after an unfortunate run-in with Angie. While controlling Kari's body, Rhythm is treated to a guided tour of the festival. Haru's visit with Yuujin doesn't go as planned.

" _I hope I've moved on from needing folks to assume I'm good at something just to be nice."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** The vague timeline of the original kids makes it impossible to know if Takuya really was in diapers during Daigo's adventure, but it's probably in that ballpark.

Now that Daigo and Maki are back in the spotlight for a chapter, we can really step up the running gag of them making constant references and in-jokes based on an adventure we'll never get to see. Less frequent is them coming from the 90s and dealing with all the technology and culture the modern Appmon kids brought.

Hey look, Hideaki and Mizuki finally wormed their way into the story! Hideaki staying behind to help the internationals was supposed to be a bigger deal, but proved to be an uninteresting distraction in the first half of the story. I'm hoping our favorite capitalist gets more to do in the second half, but no promises.

As the Cerealia chapters, there's a lovely parallel with the big dance in Neverworld, also chapters 10 and 11. It's just a good time in the story to get mix all the characters into a party setting and stir up some tensions before the big wham moment to end the first half… which sadly will be chapter 14 instead of 13 this time.

Like the idea of Rei hacking people out of disabilities, the idea of Yuujin programmed into a Roomba started as a joke and grew into a feasible plot element when I found out Roombas are very friendly to hacking and are even sold without the vacuum parts just for that purpose.


	11. Attention Seeker

**Author** **'s Note**  
Happy Odaiba Day! Since it lines up so nicely, I'm posting a week early! Sadly, this does mean we're back on break a week early, but I'm targeting October for the next set of updates. I'm through chapter 12 and into chapter 13, so I'm almost halfway home already!

 **Nexusworld**

 _It_ _'s not a cry for help, it's just a cry for connection._  
 _And I'd trade my life and health to make people pay attention._  
 _And I'd sacrifice myself for the sake of entertainment._  
 _And die smiling when you've seen it, so sing out like you mean it!_  
 _When I hear people stand and cheer, it's the dawn that shimmers in the dark._  
 _\- Felix Hagen and the Family,_ _"Attention Seeker"_

 **Episode 11**

Mimi Tachikawa wanted to be as close to the stage as possible for the idol performance. The moment she found out not only was Eri performing, but also dragging Meiko with her for song, Mimi knew it would be an experience to savor. She lingered in the main hall after the dance had ended to reserve a nice space up front, sending her date to get the refreshment she badly needed. All that dancing nagged at her to sneak into one of the chairs in the back of the room, but she resisted. This was Meiko's big moment. This was important.

Tai arrived with two cans of juice. Mimi chugged half of hers in one gulp and let out a satisfied exhale. "Thank you, Commander."

He rolled his eyes. "Quit with the commander thing, Mimi."

"If you really considered me your last resort for a date, I can call you whatever I want."

"You know that wasn't what I meant!" This had been a sore spot with him all night, which she insisted on poking. "Just seems like everyone else has real dates and we're stuck going as friends."

"Joe and I always went as friends," she countered. "I'm happy he was brave enough to ask Yoshi."

"You mean Gomamon and Lalamon goaded him into it."

"Palmon's helping them!"

Despite her cheer, Tai still sighed. The whole night had been this. If Mimi could have picked one person on her team to just run off with for a night of no-strings chaos, of course it would have been Tai. Even if he saw it as desperation, she still anticipated a riotous evening, confident she could coax him into good spirits. At times, she had success: their dancing was sloppy and mockingly sexy and everything she could have asked for. During the more peaceful times, walking the festival booths and such, he was distant, lost in his thoughts and unable to appreciate everything the international kids contributed.

His melancholy continued as the house lights dimmed and Eri took the stage alone for her first few songs. To no one's surprise, she nailed the first couple songs, an idol still in her prime banging out pop ballads and tight dance steps with precision. This was anything but peaceful and Mimi hoped Tai would respond to the noise. He withdrew further.

Between songs, Mimi asked, "Is something wrong?" She tried to be gentle, but if anything serious was bothering him, she needed him to let it out.

She had to wait before Tai answered: "A lot of things. I was hoping to try to forget them tonight but it's not easy."

Mocking a scoff, she said, "My company isn't good enough?"

At least she got a chuckle from him. "You're fine. It's just… everything else." He looked up at the stage. "It's kind of funny. Eri and I have been butting heads since she got here and we're all cheering her on."

Mimi shrugged. "And Nene will be up there too. You know how I feel about her. Really this is about encouraging Meimei."

Tai's head shook, his face stuck with a confused smile. "Meiko the idol… I'm still not picturing this."

With confidence, she replied. "She'll be amazing."

They quieted when Eri shouted with practiced enthusiasm. "How's everybody enjoying our second annual Cerealia festival?!" She let the round of cheering subside before continuing, "Stay put because we're ending the night with a fireworks display and a set from Midnight Machete." She paused to let another wave of cheers pass. "I've got one more song, and for this one I'm getting some help. Let's bring up Meiko and Midnight Machete's very own Nene!"

Tai only contributed a polite clap and Mimi cheered exclusively for Meiko, but the pair brought the loudest roar as they entered, both wearing similar outfits as Eri with different colored accents. Nene, with pink ribbons and a confident smile, flanked Eri downstage. Meiko stood behind and between them, hiding her jittery hands.

When the peppy music struck, the two professionals alternated solos on the first verse, all three performing basic moves in unison. Mimi focused on Meiko, wide-eyed and shaking, but hitting every step. The dancing got more complicated for the chorus, at least for Eri and Nene, but all three sang, Meiko in counterpoint.

Mimi realized the plan: Eri didn't give Meiko anything difficult to handle, letting herself and Nene do the heavy lifting. It was probably the wisest strategy, but Mimi didn't want Meiko hidden in the background. Being up there was brave enough, but Mimi needed her girl to be seen.

As the second verse offered more of the same, with a little more flourish and harmony, Tai leaned over and said, "Huh, she's doing okay."

When the bridge hit, the dynamic changed. All three froze and a new solo voice emerged, once Mimi had never heard before. She didn't place it as Meiko's at first, thanks to the unfiltered rural accent. For the first two bars she didn't move. On the third, as the music built up behind her, she stepped forward, raising her voice to a crescendo as Nene and Eri danced in support. Mimi had heard Meiko sing with the standard accent she was accustomed to, a meek voice that wouldn't blow anyone away. Here, on stage in front of hundreds, with a country twang foreign to everyone but her, it was strong enough to hold court even with Eri. Meiko's final note carried over the room, a big showman's smile along with it.

All three danced front and center for the final chorus. Meiko's part remained limited, but instead of playing backup, she was the center line in the symmetry the other two provided. Her voice was more discernible mixed with the three as they built to a climax: three idols performing as one before an adoring crowd.

Mimi found herself in tears, blown away at Meiko rising to the moment and standing tall. At first she deemed them tears of pride. But how much pride was she really entitled to have? No matter how much she loved Meiko back home and how much faith she had in her, little of her potential had been realized before she left. Her Meiko was still afraid of her own partner and too shy to show some skin or dance in a classroom. No matter how that Meiko evolved to this one, Mimi had no claim to it. She could only stand in awe of the transformation from the outside.

Tai's mouth hung open, trying to blink away the impossibility of what he'd just seen. He lowered his head, a satisfied smile forming. "You were right," he said. "She was amazing."

"Yeah…" she mumbled back. Deep down she was expecting Meiko-level amazing. But there were no qualifications to her performance: Meiko was simply amazing. Enough that Mimi wondered if she herself could have done that routine. Probably, she concluded, if she had the opportunity, but without it she would never find out.

"We should, uh…" Tai looked around the room. Most of the crowd remained in place for Matt's concert. "Maybe we should go back and congratulate her."

"That's a fantastic idea." Her cheer returned; whatever doubts she had about herself would pass given the chance to shower Meimei with love.

When they tried to get backstage, a big obstacle emerged in a little blue Appmon. "You can't see Eri!"

Tai held up a hand. "We just wanted to congratulate Meiko."

Dokamon pounded his giant fists. "They just finished. No boys allowed."

"Well, I'm not a boy," said Mimi, earning a betrayed look from Tai. She switched to, "Matt and Ewan are back there."

"They're in the band! I can't let fans bother Eri right after her show. She'll do autographs later!"

"Autographs?!" Mimi? Seeking autographs? She'd be more likely to sign them. She turned to Tai. "Do something… _Commander_."

Tai winced. "Mimi, I'm not pulling rank to get backstage at an idol concert."

She pouted. "You're a terrible fake date, Tai."

"Well, stay if you want to." He took a deep breath. "I'm uh… gonna walk around."

Mimi considered objecting, but let him go. She resolved to linger around and wait for Meiko to celebrate her triumph. It was all she could do. She looked up at the stage again as Matt positioned his amp ahead of his own show, another star of the evening, while Mimi clung in desperation to the periphery.

* * *

Nene Amano didn't realize how out of practice she was until stepping off stage. The first warning signs came in rehearsal when she forgot the best technique for basic moves and needed to re-train herself. She did, refusing to let Eri upstage her, but her rewards were aching legs and hips after the show.

"I'm going to be sore tomorrow," she said, crashing into an armchair. Even before the show started, Nene had been looking forward to changing out of her dress, but now she considered wearing it through her concert. Transforming from peppy idol to rock goddess sounded like so much work.

"At least you were hitting all your notes." Eri leaned against the wall, shaking her head. "I got pitchy on the first chorus. Coachmon's going to have my head. Thanks for adjusting."

"Anytime. Shame you can't cover for my dancing."

"What was wrong with your dancing?" asked Meiko. "You didn't stumble once."

"Too tight. Forced it too much. That kick was a mess."

"You might be okay; I went too low on that." Eri raised her eyebrows. "I probably could have been tighter."

"Are you going to watch the video?" Nene wouldn't dare look at it.

"Of course. How else will I get better?"

Out of nowhere, Meiko fell into a deep bow. "I'm sorry!"

Nene and Eri eyed each other. "Why are you apologizing exactly?" Nene asked.

"I thought I did all right, but I probably messed up a million things I'm too dumb to even notice."

Waving her off, Nene calmly said. "Oh no no, you were good."

Eri nodded. "Told you using your natural voice would help. One less thing to think about."

"But…" Meiko's head darted between the two. "You're both talking about what you did wrong. I thought you were both great."

"We were." Eri cracked her knuckles. "We crushed it. Doesn't mean it was perfect."

"Then I must have been pretty far from it."

Rolling her eyes and shrugging, Eri said, "When Tora gets me the tape we can go over every detail, but nobody out there was laughing at you so you must have been good." She extended a fist towards Meiko and grinned. "Come on. Pound it!"

When Meiko refused, Eri leaned forward, staring into her eyes. "You may not believe this, but there are things you are good at. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, I'll punch them."

Meiko chuckled, eyes cast down. "No, I… I know that. I had patches were I didn't always believe it, but I think I'm past all that." Looking up again, she added, "I know there are things I'm good at… but not singing and dancing. And I hope I've moved on from needing folks to assume I'm good at something just to be nice."

The kind smile on Eri's face vanished. Nene's eyebrows rose as Meiko concluded, "Let's watch that tape. Be honest with me."

Fascinated as Nene was by the moment they were sharing, the knock on the door dragged her back to reality and made her realize she had wasted her break. With all three girls failing to undress in the dressing room, she opened the door for her brother.

Ewan's sagging eyes and heavy frown only worsened when he saw his sister. "We're ready to go. Why aren't you dressed?"

"Well… I…" She paused to think of an excuse for why she squandered her time. Looking back at other two, she returned to her brother in triumph. "Solidarity. That was quite a special performance so the three of us agreed to wear our outfits for the rest of the night."

"Okay, fine, whatever." Ewan shook his head, eyes wandering. "I stopped trying to figure out your fashion choices. Let's just do this."

Nene frowned, scrutinizing his demeanor. "Something's wrong with you." She knew him too well. Well enough to know that asking first would just lead to a wall.

He picked his head up enough for their eyes to meet. "She finally caught me."

Now she slumped. Her hands found his shoulders. "Oh… dear baby brother… we can talk all about it later, but for now I can think of nothing more soothing than hitting things. To a beat!" She pushed him out the door, closing it behind her.

In the room, Eri tilted her head. "Wearing this all night? I'm on teardown!" Louder, she called, "I'm not cleaning up in this!"

* * *

Tai Kamiya had to admit Eri and the international kids outdid themselves holding this festival. The variety of food and activities alone impressed, but the cultural representation suggested a big fair in the city, not some trivial entertainment for a bunch of prisoners in an undeveloped world. He still needed to see how the building served as a residence, but as an event facility he was blown away. The night was a bold first impression for the new arrivals, their planning, organization, and leadership coming together to make their mark on the world. Tai wished he hadn't resisted them so much.

When he and his team arrived in this Digital World all those years ago, they had no choice but to be cautious. There were too many hostilities and they were too much of a target to expose themselves. Every step of their progress came by the slimmest of margins. They needed every ounce of power and wit to defeat their enemies. Without Takato's team they wouldn't have taken the castle and without Takuya's team they wouldn't have held it. Connecting to the river came by a lucky accident. Advancement was not supposed to be easy. Dropping a building like this in the middle of nowhere, stretching Ceresmon's generosity to its limits, and organizing and defending it should have been unthinkable without incredible work.

The ease of the achievements threw everything Tai knew about the world into question. Did security really have to be the top priority of any settlement? Was it even possible to ask too much of Ceresmon? Was assuming everyone needed to do their part for the community really practical with more people and fewer worries?

Much as Tai would have loved to shrug off his old assumptions and ride the wave forward, the struggles at Isthmian kept him grounded. In two months they had gone from one settlement to three. One was hopeful and offered glimpses of an exciting future. One teetered on the verge of outright catastrophe. The original castle was comfortable in the middle, watching both in disbelief, unsure whether one, both, or neither reflected the true state of the Digital World.

Try as he could, he couldn't abandon his thoughts and focus on the party. Not with the obnoxiously extravagant hosting job blended with horrible stories of the attack on Isthmian. Even if he didn't always show it, he was grateful for Mimi dragging him around and forcing his smile with her contagious enthusiasm. Alone, nothing seemed fun.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone, spurring him to life. Not out of enjoyment, but rather obligation. By the time he turned to her, her back had turned and she walked away. Tai followed her down an empty hallway, decorated only with ladders and paint cans. She turned the corner, saw more of the same and stopped. With a huff, Angie turned around and stared up at him. "What do you want?"

The tone startled him. He didn't expect a confrontation. "Just… wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't seen you around much lately."

Her hands found her hips, eyebrows narrowing. "Well gee, I wonder why that is."

Tai breathed in the scorn, accepted it, and re-calculated how to proceed. "Look I'm really sorry it didn't work out. But I thought we could catch up. I…" He caught himself. "We miss you up there."

It wasn't working. If anything, Angie dug in more. "If you really felt bad about it you wouldn't have let it happen."

"I… I thought it was best to let Takuya make that decision. He's running Isthmian and I don't want step on his toes."

She scoffed. "Yeah, let Takuya do what he wants up there. Look how well that's going!

Even if it was a dig on Takuya, Tai still felt it, his voice rising: "Angie, you can still come back and help us!"

"I don't want to be a third-stringer fetching coffee for all you guys! That was my chance to be involved with something! To really help out up there! For once I thought I might be set for something better than being Kari's intern or sweeping after the Digimon. You killed that, Tai! Over one little mistake." She pointed at him. "Which I still say wasn't my fault!"

He tried to get a word in, but she didn't let up: "You think Kari never makes mistakes up there? She's made a ton! She admits it! And TK slacks off half the time; who knows what he's missing? But nothing ever happens to them, but I get canned because something slipped my mind after the girl next to me got possessed by a god. Which is so messed up!"

Fending off the urge to get defensive over his sister's competency or odd connections with supernatural entities, Tai asked,"Well how am I supposed to fix this? You can't expect me to get rid of them."

Angie stopped herself, eyes scanning her own thoughts. Then she shook her head. Her eyes welled. "I don't think you can. I can't work with you guys and I sure don't want to go to Isthmian. Not now."

"Come on!" Tai shouted in frustration. Knowing she was right and knowing he needed to make right counted for little if he couldn't act. "I feel awful about this! There's really nothing we can do to help you?"

Seething, her head kept shaking. "You can't help anybody lately. Why do think you could help me?"

Reeling back, all his anger over her situation simmered under as shock pounded him. "W… what do you mean?"

"Isthmian! You let Takuya run everything and someone dies? And now they're worried about another attack? You really think they have everything under control up there? Or are you just happy it isn't your problem?"

"I-"

"Yeah, pass it off while I freak out over Nene and Jeremy and Ewan."

"Angie-" Try as he could, he couldn't utter a word into her rising deluge.

"And what about this place, huh? Trying to come up with all the reasons why they can't have the stuff they want? What, you want them to live in the trains forever? Or are you afraid they have better ideas than you?"

"That's not what-"

"That's not what's happening? That's all I'm hearing! You let everybody into the castle so all the new kids drop their Digimon off on me. I hear what they're saying! I talk to them! Might as well; it's not like I have one!"

She paused for a breath; this time he didn't bother trying to interrupt. Angie launched right back into it: "These guys don't need somebody who can keep them alive or kill bad guys or find code crowns or whatever the hell you had to do. They need someone who can plan a city. A government. All that stuff. What makes you think you can do all that?"

One more breath later, she concluded: "Admit it Tai: you have no idea what you're doing anymore."

Save for her heaving, silence fell. Angie was spent, face red with anger and tears blotching makeup. An unexpected carrier of the reality Tai had spent the night trying to avoid. Now it was impossible to dodge, his discomfort at the venue and inability to enjoy himself taking their masks off to reveal the true culprit.

He wanted to keep denying it, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out at this poor girl. "Hey… I…" was all he managed before she calmed herself. But reality dawned for her too. He saw it in her eyes, morphing from the passion of a concerned friend unleashing brutal honesty to the horror of a subordinate who had just gone off on a superior.

"I…" she stammered in terror, rushing her words while still brave enough to speak. "I'll go back to hiding in the habitat where you never have to see me again, okay?" She pushed past him and ran before he could respond.

Tai still couldn't respond to her outburst. All the doubts she conjured still hung. He rounded the corner, deeper into the unlit, unfinished hallway, the scent of fresh paint and progress in the air. Sinking against the wall, he hoped nobody would find him. Unlike Angie, he didn't have a habitat to hide in.

* * *

Davis Motomiya knew what he wanted and thought he knew how to get it. He smelled it in the air by the pizza stand, and nobody else eyed the prize. The rows of festival booths had less life to them now, most of the traffic diverted downstairs to the concert. The empty table and cooling portable oven didn't deter him, even if it made his wait a little longer.

His patience was rewarded when Phil cantered back. "Hey, there you are!" Davis called out.

"What, were you looking for me?" Phil rushed behind the booth and ducked under it. "We're shut down. Didn't you get enough before?"

Davis grinned. "Yeah, but you gotta have leftovers, right?"

Phil poked his head up. "That's not how pizza works. We make it; it disappears. We ran out of cheese two hours ago." He dropped down again.

"You gotta have something left though. Something I could maybe… tinker with back home?" Davis was hardly a pizza chef, but after tasting what he decided then and there was the perfect slice, he needed to add it to the repertoire. "You know… sauce, dough, toppings… I can take care of all that for you if you can't store it up here."

"We got uh… half a can of sauce and a bag of mushrooms." It still aroused hope until Phil added, "And the sauce is staying here. Besides, we aren't packing up until later."

Stifling a grumble, Davis said, "So why are you here?"

Phil popped back up with the answer. "Forgot my cap. See ya."

As he ran off, Davis sighed in defeat. But as Phil left, Kari approached, so he picked his spirits up to greet her. "Hey Kari! Did you lose Astra?"

He didn't notice her eyes until she reached him and said, "I am the master of creation and destruction, of heaven and earth, of life and death, and of light and darkness."

His eyes bulged and his smile fell. "Rhythm?" He looked around for support. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

"Oh… nothing! Just wanted to check out the party."

Davis backed away. An innocent comment, but knowing what just checking out the party meant jarred him. Especially with no facial expression. "You… took control of Kari just for fun?"

"It's all right. I can only do it if she lets me. Care to show me around?"

After some hesitance, he shrugged and agreed. If everyone was all right with it, walking around the festival with a being resembling Kari sounded like fun.

Despite resembling her, Davis noticed the change in posture and mannerism. Rhythm held a stiff form, standing and walking upright, no threat of the slouch Kari could succumb to on off days. Her arms hung straight down, barely swinging, another change from Kari, whose shoulders always moved while in stride. He wasn't sure if this was lack of control or Rhythm simplifying movement. Either way, it didn't take long to accept that he was really with someone else.

"You shouldn't be so surprised one of us would want to make an appearance. This is a festival to celebrate Ceresmon, right?"

"Yep! Although I don't know what we actually do for that. I guess in Rome they used to do sacrifices and stuff. For some reason we nixed that part."

She chuckled. "I wish I could tell Ceresmon to fly by, but she's under Algomon."

"Hey, how's old Algie doing?"

"Very annoyed but still too weak to do anything about it. I, uh… talked to him after realizing how many new arrivals we were getting. It was pretty awkward."

"Then why bother? He's a dick."

"Maintaining balance in the world goes both ways." She stopped walking. "And he did convince me to do one thing…"

"Really?"

"Ooh, look at those paintings." She turned to admire a pair of canvasses, silent long enough to tell him the line of conversation was over.

"Yeah, uh… one of the Italian kids made those. Cool, huh?" To be honest, Davis hadn't acknowledged them until now.

Rhythm stood in fascination, Kari's blank face betraying the joy Davis was sure she felt.

Not one to appreciate fine art, his eyes drifted, catching TK and Catherine nearing them. Davis intercepted them before they reached Rhythm. "Hey there you two! Gotta say you guys make a great couple!"

TK shrugged. Catherine wavered before replying, "It's all right. It's very nice company." Her eyes fell. "Even if the dancing didn't quite go as planned."

"Yeah, turns out both of us are great dancers… just not with each other," TK grumbled.

"Great, glad you two are clicking!" Davis blurted, pointing behind them. "Hey that ball game's still open. Or are you scared of getting beat?"

"What were you and Kari talking about?" TK didn't fall for it. "Saw you two together."

Davis's head darted to Rhythm and back. "Uh… that's right! You jealous?"

Catherine grinned at her date. "Yes… are you?"

TK's eyebrows narrowed. "I'm not jealous, I'm just nosy." The eyes widened and he leaned back when Rhythm approached them. "Hey, is she… what's wrong now?"

When Rhythm arrived, she asked, "Have you ever seen paintings that lovely?"

"I can see the Louvre from my apartment," answered Catherine.

TK stuttered before giving up. "Okay, I'm confused."

Davis waved him down. "Relax, she's just here to enjoy the party too!"

After one false start, TK exploded. "She's not even here for a reason?!" He stepped forward, getting into her face. "You think you just take over whenever you want?!"

"I can't," said Rhythm. "She can fight it."

TK threw his hands on her shoulders. "Fight it, Kari!"

The color in her eyes faded, giving way to a familiar brown. They closed just as quickly as Kari slipped through TK's grasp. He caught her before she hit the ground.

Davis dove in to help support her. "Jeez, TK, that's no way to treat a god."

"She started it," he mumbled. "Great, now what do we do?"

"If you can carry her, she can rest in my office," said Catherine. TK nodded and swing around, picking Kari up under her arms.

Taking Kari's legs, Davis shot a look at Catherine. "You get your own office?"

"Can you at least pretend to be worried?" TK spat. Davis rolled his eyes and didn't respond. If he worried about anything, it was whether Kari actually regained control of herself or if TK scared Rhythm away. Either way, Davis wished the ending hadn't been so abrupt.

* * *

Izzy Izumi always felt like he was missing something when he attended Matt's concerts. He liked music as background noise just fine, but never invested himself in understanding a song's message. The mopey rock sound Matt leaned on never appealed to Izzy from an aural perspective, so he assumed message was all it had going for it. Yet every time he saw a show, both back home and in the Digital World, the crowd generated a palpable excitement completely eluding him. With the new arrivals bolstering attendance numbers, the buzz overwhelmed him.

He couldn't deny the spectacle of their performance. Matt injected real emotion and energy into his singing, and expressed himself better on stage than he ever did in real life. As a special treat, Eri joined them for a song. While her enthusiasm in her earlier set was a natural, practiced part of the act, she was giddy and tense and all the more explosive practicing a new genre.

Then there was Nene. He struggled to ignore her striking beauty even during normal investigation team work. Under the bright spotlight it was magnified and emboldened, emphasized by her clothes and makeup. Add in her immense singing talent and her developing guitar skills and he could barely fathom how she could be possible. He tried not to look at her and ponder it too much. It only reminded him that, even unlikelier than her existing, she actually kissed him.

Nobody had brought it up. Without words, he and Nene shrugged it off as an awkward reaction to a tense situation. It was the only logical explanation, so there was no point delving. It still boggled him that forces would conspire the way they did and that she'd lose her composure in such a noisy way. The girl performing on stage had the composure to command the entire hall. Anomalies of the world fascinated him, but he fled at anomalies of people.

As the song wrapped up and Eri took a long final bow at the end of her guest appearance, Zoe snuck in closer, dragging Jeremy behind her. "Great show, huh?" She had to shouted to get over the applause. Izzy only heard her because she pushed her shoulder into him.

"They are indeed very talented," he shouted back.

"Nene looks amazing." She eyed the surrounding boys, waiting for an agreement.

"Nene always looks amazing," Jeremy said, more insistent than astounded.

Izzy kept his mouth shut, keeping the conversation hostage as Matt introduced the next song.

"I still can't believe she kissed you," said Zoe. Izzy nodded, unsurprised to hear it. Here they were away from team functions. Here they were just friends. Here she could ask questions.

He gave her the correct answer. "We all know exactly what happened. No sense dwelling on it."

"I know, I know… it's just weird that nobody is. Even Matt!" she chuckled.

Izzy almost chuckled back. "Believe it or not, Matt is quite capable of being rational." He had seen it all his life. He was perhaps surprised to see it apply to this instance, but it was a load off his shoulders. It was the last thing he wanted to talk about with him.

She didn't look like she believed him, but the first strums of Nene's guitar forced her into silence as the next song began. The slow, heavy chords made it clear Matt wrote it even before he started crooning:

 _In the storm, the waters rise,_  
 _We grasp whatever to survive._  
 _In desperation's wake,_  
 _Mistakes should not leave anyone surprised._

 _Trusted friend I've fought beside._  
 _You guard my love against the tide._  
 _But through the cresting waves,_  
 _Her savior's feelings can't be swept aside._

 _Just a kiss… but now the storm is blowing…_  
 _Knowing that I need to move on._  
 _Hoping that the thunder is gone._  
 _I look at you, into the face you've drawn._

 _Giving me reason to doubt…_  
 _Clouding up my mind in a haze._  
 _Shrouding who you are in a maze._  
 _Is this how somebody I trust betrays?_  
 _Now here we are in the storm…_

The dramatic interlude and the second verse only escalated the paranoia further. Izzy's stomach churned as Matt screamed the second chorus. Nene was too focused on her guitar to hint at her reaction to the lyrics.

Zoe leaned over, attempting to say something but stumbling over her words each time. The song continued with more doubts, more questions, and more for Izzy to worry about. It rose in intensity, modulating higher until it ended with a long, exhausting coda.

Amid the surrounding applause, Zoe's mouth hung open, while Izzy's teeth clenched. They shared a nervous glance.

"Wow, that was a good one!" exclaimed Jeremy. "I'd just fight that guy and be done with it."

The nervous glance became a stare. "You might have a problem," said Zoe, concerned… but also a little satisfied.

* * *

Yuujin Oozora's voice was clear and distinct over the speakers installed on the vacuum. That alone was enough to send Haru into tears. In all of six years of research, he had imagined himself being measured and professional when he finally welcomed Yuujin back to the world. The emotion would come later, but after so long treating it like a proper scientific mission, he wanted to to respect the initial moments the same way. Already, even in a mere trial, Haru knew that wouldn't happen. Just hearing Yuujin say his name unleashed the excitement and validation and longing he'd kept under wraps for so long.

"What's going on?" Yuujin's next words put all the happiness at bay. The Yuujin Haru liked to idealize was fearless and confident. That wasn't who Yuujin really was. Haru had caught and corrected himself several times polishing the finished code. He still held his fantasies, however, so when Yuujin's voice turned not to elation or comfort but rather terror, it shattered the illusion. This was really Yuujin Oozora… and Yuujin Oozora had never been programmed into a vacuum before.

"Yuujin!" Haru kneeled directly in front of the camera. If anything brought out his composure it was a worried friend. "Can you see me?"

"Yeah." A pause. Nothing on the vacuum suggested whether more was coming. "You look… taller."

After a relieved sigh, Haru nodded. "It's been a while."

"Haru? I… can't feel anything."

"That's…" Haru gulped. He never imagined having to explain this or considered how. "That's okay. That's not surprising."

Yuujin wasn't pacified. "That's okay? How is that okay?"

"It's…" Was he really supposed to tell Yuujin he was inhabiting a robotic vacuum now? And even worse that it was only temporary and he'd remember none of this when he woke up in a proper body? He couldn't do that to his best friend. "…it's okay." He barely calmed himself, let alone Yuujin.

"Haru, be honest," Yuujin's voice was clipped. Haru imagined hearing gasps of air. "What's wrong with me?"

Behind them, Rei buried his head in the monitors, teeth gritted and refusing eye contact with either of them. Gatchmon peered, eyes between Haru and Yuujin, too nervous to offer help.

"You were gone for a long time," said Haru. "We brought you back, but you're probably not used to how you are right now."

"How I am? What does that mean?"

"Can you try to move? Like walk around?"

"Haru, I can't feel-"

"Just try!" Haru blurted. "Tell yourself to walk, even if you can't feel your legs."

After a nervy delay, the vacuum pushed forward, accompanied by a dull whirr from the motors. Yuujin stopped immediately. "What was that?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I'll be honest, I'm a little worried about everything right now."

"Just try to move around. See if you can get comfortable."

Despite some reluctance, Yuujin did, motoring along the glass back and forth with the occasional arching turn. The control and command were still there. Yuujin was free to move as he liked. All of the diagnostics checked out.

Nothing else did. "This isn't right. Why am I so low? It's like I'm skimming across the grass."

Haru spent so long continuing to fish for an answer he didn't see how close Yuujin was to the pool.

"Hey, look out!" Gatchmon shouted, charging after him and picking him up before he reached the water. "Gotcha!"

"Gatchmon?"

"Yep! Welcome back!"

"Where's Offmon?"

Gatchmon looked over at Haru. Offmon was still in his chip. Haru didn't want to subject him to an unfinished practice Yuujin. He wasn't sure how the buddy Appmon would respond. From how difficult a time Haru himself was having, he knew it was the right decision.

He still owed Yuujin an answer: "Offmon's just fine. You'll see him soon."

Yuujin didn't answer. He didn't resist Gatchmon holding him in place, but he turned silent.

"You okay?" Haru asked.

"Can you put me down?" Yuujin asked. Gatchmon did, facing Haru, who approached with caution. He didn't recall Yuujin ever sounding so dismayed.

Yuujin and Haru stared at each other, Haru incapable of reading anything in his friend's mind. The two were lonely and isolated. He could only wait for a response.

It came like a punch: "I'm inside a… robot?"

"You…" Haru didn't want to just agree, no matter how true it was. "Yuujin, how do you-"

"The reflection. It's a vacuum or something.

"Look, Yuujin, it's… this isn't permanent."

"Where's my body?"

"It's…" Whatever bodies Leviathan had created for him had long been destroyed and were long out of date. "It's gone."

Again, the lack of a visual reaction was unsettling. Finally, Yuujin said, "What am I supposed to do? I can't live like this."

"You won't! We'll make a real body for you. It'll be… it'll all be back to normal."

"But it won't be my body?"

Haru froze. They had the specifications for Yuujin's original body and projections for future iterations. In theory, they could create his body. But the technological demands for even a basic structure strained their limited resources. Creating one up to spec was a taller ask. And now Haru wondered if he'd register a twenty-year-old body as truly his if his last looked fourteen. Strictly speaking, the test run was a success, but actually speaking with Yuujin again made him doubt so much.

Behind the computer, Rei gestured to Gatchmon, frantically mimicking a button press. After stealing a look at Haru, Gatchmon nodded and approached Yuujin. "Wait!" Haru shouted.

Gatchmon stopped, but glared back. "Haru…"

"He's just scared." Haru took cautious steps towards Yuujin. The tears returned. "Why wouldn't he be? He's only human."

"I don't feel very human right now," said Yuujin. "Will I ever be?"

"Of… course." There was no confidence in it. Even Haru didn't believe himself.

"Haru… I want to trust you. You've… never let me down before." His faith brought comfort and pain all at once. "But I'm scared. I don't think I can do this. I'm not as strong as you think I am."

"Yuujin…" Haru hated himself now. He did this to his best friend. He made him suffer. And yet he didn't want him to leave. Not in this state of mind.

"Haru… I'm sorry." Yuujin wheeled the vacuum backward, steady and certain and natural with a soothing hum of the motor.

Gatchmon didn't realize what was happening until it tumbled into the pool. He jumped to life once he did, diving to the ground and extending a claw. "Hey wait you'll get-!" The sparks crackled in the water, only two before the lights on the vacuum expired as it sank to the bottom.

"Yuujin!" Haru rushed to the edge, falling to his knees alongside Gatchmon. He clutched the grass, forcing his eyes shut, fighting back every instinct to dive in after him. Gatchmon latched a claw onto his shoulder as he cried out.

Was it all the distress he caused, all the questions raised about his project and how careful he would have to be about avoiding the same mistakes in the future? Was it the reminder of how far away he really was to realizing his dream, shattering the illusion of progress they'd made along the way? Was it the visual of Yuujin, for the second time, making the choice to die right before Haru's eyes? The thoughts drowned him. The flood had to be drained somehow.

Gatchmon and Rei held their positions as Haru wept. Rei processed data on the computer, or at least pretended to. Gatchmon never left Haru's side. Haru's tears never let up, but they waited it out. Alone in the castle, they had nothing else to do.

* * *

Meiko Mochizuki needed a moment to take in her overwhelming joy. The festival was a smash, she survived her idol performance, and all she had to do now was watch everyone tear down booths and accept the waves of compliments. At first she tried to deflect the praise to Eri, who provided most of the vision and leadership. But Meiko made the logistics work, made sure everyone with a booth had what they needed, and supervised the arrangement of both the hall and the festival rows. Plenty of comments specified this, and all she could do was accept them. They piled high enough to convince her she deserved them.

Relishing in an unqualified success almost brought her to tears. More than the honor of being acknowledged for her hard work or the smiling faces of everyone enjoying the party, she had a moment of epiphany where she was just happy to be alive. It was the sort of elation she could only feel when simply being alive hadn't always been a guarantee.

She had suffered through the worst. She had believed she had nothing to provide the world. She had been convinced that her best choice was to die in the most painful way. Meiko still had to condemn her own partner to oblivion, offering little more than peace and comfort as Omnimon struck the fatal blow. Despite that, and despite being dragged back into a world that had shown nothing but disdain for her, she found her path and moved forward, confidence growing the whole way.

Her moment of appreciation didn't last long. Even if she was clear for the night, there had to be some place where she could help out. She found somewhere to be useful. Turning away from the courtyard, she spotted Agumon heading out the door. Two things concerned her. One was his hung shoulders and his scuffling, slow pace. He was supposed to help light fireworks to conclude the night, so she found his depressed demeanor unusual. The other was him coming out of an unfinished hallway that wasn't off limits per se, but nobody had reason to use. Meiko headed down it to investigate.

Around the corner, Tai sat on the floor, head against the wall, eyes closed. Her first impulse was to gasp at possible foul play, but his heaving chest suggested something more reasonable. Not that falling asleep against a wall in the middle of a party was reasonable.

"Tai?" she asked.

His eyes popped open and blinked a few times, but he only sighed in response. "Suppose I need to get back out there, huh?"

She recognized the tone right away. This didn't stem from exhaustion or boredom. Something was wrong. Something had floored Tai enough to leaving him wallowing. Something even Agumon couldn't lift him out of. After all he had done for her, it was a heartbreaking sight, enough that she decided how to be useful.

With a shake of her head, a faint smile, and a reverted accent, Meiko replied, "Well aren't you a peach, hun?"

He picked his head up and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not used to the accent."

She cringed and switched back. "I'm… not used to us coming here at different times." Holding her skirt, she sat on the floor next to him. "What's the matter?"

Tai stared ahead for a few moments, gathering his thoughts, before unloading: "When we got here originally, the thing we had to worry about most was staying alive. We didn't have castles or the river or enough kids. It was just us against the world. There were times I wasn't sure if we'd get out of it."

"But you did."

He nodded. "We did. And the stronger we got, the more I worked to make sure we wouldn't have to worry about staying alive again."

Meiko tried not to giggle. "Well, I appreciate that."

"But… here it's like it's not a problem anymore. When I found out how many would be showing up, I didn't know what to do. With so many of us, I figured the world would fight back and it would be hard to keep everyone safe. That's… not really what happened."

"We still have to stay safe. I know the reps don't think about it so much, but Mr. Sampson takes security very seriously."

"But that's just it…" Tai turned to her, eyes unsteady. "It only takes a couple people and you're fine. The rest of you are free to focus on everything else. I… don't even know what that everything else even is. You guys can worry about building your own place and throwing these parties and all this other great stuff. What's everyone even going to do once this place is finished?"

"Tai…" She held out a hand. "We'll figure that out. We have a lot of work to do before we get there."

"Aren't I supposed to help though? I'm commander. You'd think I'd have some sort of vision for how we're all supposed to live. But you guys are moving on just fine without me… and meanwhile I let Takuya run things at Isthmian and we lose someone."

Her head fell. "Keeping us alive isn't as easy as you think." Picking it up again, determined to get off the topic, Meiko rubbed his shoulder. "You just need to find the right balance. Go where you know you can help."

"That's not here, is it?" Meiko tried to backtrack, but Tai added, "I feel like they don't like me much here."

"That's not true," she said, louder. "I… I know Eri's not a fan but… we all know who you are. And what you've done. Maybe sometimes they get frustrated when you shoot down their ideas, but everyone respects you. We know you're trying to help. We…" she choked up. "…we know you're trying to keep us alive."

His head lifted but his expression stayed down. "But what's that worth now?"

Something inside Meiko took over, her hand drifting down to push against his chest. She leaned in, words pouring out, rushed and certain. "Tai, don't ever tell me that's not important. You kept me alive." His eyes focused more on her. "And I don't mean you saved me from all the bad guys, you… you saved me from myself." Tai bristled, eyes and mouth both widening.

"When I was stuck and everyone's telling me I'd figure it out and I felt worthless 'cause I couldn't..." Meiko chafed at her accent drifting back and forth, but she couldn't stop. "You just… listened. And when I realized what had to happen… you stood up for me when no one else did. Even when I didn't. And when I wanted to die with Mei 'cause I was too weak for anything else… you kept me alive."

She could only imagine how pathetic her tears made her look and how incoherent she sounded. This was the side she pretended didn't exist anymore, on full display before him. For his sake, she pressed on: "So I won't hear it. Keeping people alive is important. And it's not easy. And I feel a lot better knowing someone like you is in charge. Because you're good at it." She clutched his shirt. "You're good at a lot. I won't let you think otherwise."

Meiko didn't know how much she was crying, but Tai fought off his own tears. He glanced down for a moment, then back into her eyes. After one false start, he failed to muster words. Instead, he resorted to action, surging ahead into a kiss. The hand on his chest crashed back into hers. It was small and motionless, but powerful and everlasting. Her eyes widened from the initial shock, but closed to draw it in.

Tai pulled back, now hesitant, blinking back his brief rush of confidence. "Um… sorry…" he mumbled, ready to squirm away on cue.

Sniffing back tears, Meiko shook her head as a grin formed. Chuckling, she answered, "Why are you apologizing?" She pulled him back in, not satisfied with some innocent peck. She was taking all of him and his lips responded, willing to give it away. Meiko's life was only getting more and more perfect, and as their kissing grew more and more heated, she smiled at the tangible reminder of how blessed she was to be alive.

* * *

Angie Hinomoto knew she had to fix this miss before the end of the night. No matter how angry she was, spilling all her frustrations at Tai was the opposite of smart maneuvering. No matter how far she had fallen, any hope of climbing back to a position she could be happy with rested in playing the game and winning over decision-makers. If she didn't make things right now, all the bad feelings on both ends would only fester over. If that happened, she may as well forfeit.

For the first hour, she was about to, hiding away outside, beating herself up for her stupidity. Some time after the concert, JP, Jeremy, and Zoe tracked her down and staged the intervention after she explained what had happened. Except they didn't insist she run back and apologize. In fact, all three decided her assessment of Tai was fair. JP and Zoe tried to launch into stories calling Tai's leadership into question. But in a strange way, Angie wasn't emboldened by support for her tirade. They repulsed her.

That's what convinced her to talk to Tai. For all of her exasperated criticisms, he wouldn't be worth so much energy if she didn't respect him. Hearing the sort of flak he must have gotten all the time made her sympathize with him, even after she piled on so strongly. Deep down she knew he was doing his best. Even if he'd lost his way recently, he still put thought into his decisions, accepted his burdens without complaint, and cared so deeply for everyone in the world. Her experiences with Mikey, and even the other leaders she'd come to know, reminded her how precious and essential those traits were in a commander.

She couldn't let her words break him. Were Tai to take them to heart, what would he have done? Passed on the reins to somebody less capable? Abandon the idea of unity and let each of the three settlements go their own way? Angie found all of these dangerous, and she'd rather have a wise leader struggling to adjust than a foolish one failing to realize he needed to. More than that, she always saw Tai as a genuinely nice person, part of the reason she was so delighted to work with him and so heartbroken to have him dismiss her. Personal grudges aside, he didn't deserve to be mired in self-doubt on account of her.

Angie reached the spot she'd left him in, not certain he was still there but the natural place to start looking. In her head, her words cut him so hard he was still motionless and bleeding. She didn't know what she'd say beyond apologizing. She never thought about her words; they always came to her on the spot and she spat them out just as quickly.

Murmurs around the corner stopped her. The heavy breathing, the shuffling, and the smack of colliding mouths weren't common or familiar to Angie, but she recognized them in time. Despite her silent groan, she was relieved she didn't barrel around and interrupt whatever disgusting act was going on beyond her. She didn't want to know who it was, unless…

"So uh… so what now?" Tai's voice made Angie nauseous.

She didn't recognize the girl with him. "We should probably get out of this hallway. Um… there's a little room on the other end we aren't using tonight. There's nothing in there but… it's private."

Tai gasped. "You… really?" All Angie could hear was barely restrained excitement. "Are you sure?"

"Um… well the thing is… where I'm from we run out of things to do on dates really fast."

The chuckle from Tai ended the conversation. More shuffling signaled them getting up. Angie forced herself to peek down the corner. Their backs were to her as they fled, hand-in-hand, down the hallway. When Tai turned to kiss Meiko, still in her stage outfit, Angie caught the smile on his face. That was enough for her to escape, fists shaking to keep the tears away.

Did she really believe anything she said would affect him? How could she have been naive enough to actually worry about him? It didn't matter how many blows she thought she'd landed. He was fine and off to spend the night with an idol and relieve what little stress Angie had given him. She really didn't matter to this place, and perhaps it suited someone partnerless and ineffectual to while away in the anonymity of the habitat. At least her fate was set and she could stop wasting time on foolish thoughts like actually showing concern for an idiot like Tai Kamiya.

* * *

Takato Matsuki knew the festival would be difficult. He was used to Jeri having a second boyfriend, and everyone's honesty, good faith, and overall happiness made him content with the arrangement. But this was the first party where he flied solo, and he had to adjust to not having a guaranteed dance partner and company outside Guilmon. He ended up drifting between groups, feeling liberated in his freedom to bounce around, loved in having so many backup options, but ultimately a little lonely.

At first he clung to Kazu and Kenta. Kazu's patrol team duties prevented the old trio from getting too much time together, but it wasn't a rewarding reunion without card games or interesting stories from the road. Neither the patrol nor response teams had strayed from the routine much, so they had to settle for Kenta's adventures with an overcrowded habitat. It sounded more like complaining.

Next there was Marcus and Keenan. Marcus couldn't go half an hour without running into his dad and getting into dragged-out conversations about plans for the settlement's construction and security. Keenan, on the other hand, had plenty of narrow scrapes tracking the D-Brigade's movements, but they were less entertaining and more harrowing: a million brushes with death and a promise of even more trouble at Isthmian. Takato had only been leading the response team for two months; he refused to be swayed by more exciting times up north.

Later in the night, he caught Henry and Terriermon outside, mingling with four of the five original digidestined. A group he was dying to learn more about and an easy in? Takato had struck gold. He and Guilmon jumped in on either side of him. "Hey Henry! Who are your new friends?"

The goofy smile on his face gave him away too easily. "You know who they are, Takato."

"You took me on a mission," added Daigo.

Takato didn't flinch. "Yeah, but I haven't met the rest of the team."

"These three? Not much to talk about." Daigo took a drink to hide his grin, dodging the angry glares from his two male teammates.

The girl just rolled her eyes and said, "And you wonder why I'm here with Henry."

Takato's eyes shot wide. "Whoa whoa… Henry, you're dating one of the originals?"

Henry nodded, keeping a straight face. "Didn't I tell you I met one of the new kids?"

"You just said you were working with Maki!"

"Right…" Henry gestured to his date. "So you can see why I'm more interested in her. She's the sanest one here."

Pushing her glasses up, she said, "Not much of a compliment with this bunch, but I'll take it." She held up her drink. "Be right back."

As she and her partner left for a refill, Takato stared at them. "So uh… her partner isn't the one who becomes Zhuqiaomon, I hope."

"That would have been a deal breaker," said Terriermon.

"No, that's uh…" Daigo slid in with his partner and gestured to the heavier boy in the group and his partner. Both watched her leave as well. "What's wrong with Zhuqiaomon? Or do I want to know?"

"You don't, but that would explain why those two keep staring at Henry."

"Oh he's probably jealous. He has kind of a…" Daigo shook his head. "Nope, I'm not talking about that."

Bearmon snickered. "He's into her, and she was into you for a bit, and you're into Maki, and…" He cocked his head, ignoring his partner's glare. "You know for a bunch of kids, you five always did have a weird love pentagram thing going on."

"First off, it's not love penta _gram_ , it's…" Daigo sighed. "…no, you're right. Pentagram fits better."

Henry raised his milkshake, an eye twitching. "These are the original digidestined."

"You know one nice thing about being moved to Isthmian is nobody up there knows who we are," grumbled Daigo.

"Oh, we don't," said Takato. "That cartoon with Tai and them only mentioned you guys in passing. That's why we're kind of excited to meet you." He thought himself smart to leave out the extra detail he had heard from Kazu and Ryo.

"Cartoon…" Daigo huffed. "I still don't understand how that's supposed to work."

"None of us do," said Henry, a tone far more somber than Takato was shooting for. "It's easy to believe we're all from separate worlds, but it's not that simple. There's all these weird little things linking us together. Like Ken thinks he teamed up with one of our guys."

"Oh, or apparently a bunch of us jumped in to to help out Mikey and Tagiru," Takato added.

"That's not right, Takato," said Guilmon. "We jumped in to help Haru."

Takato laughed and scratched Guilmon's neck. "And we're not bringing that up!"

Henry kept his eyes on Daigo. "So not only is there this cartoon, you've got people claiming others were involved in things that are impossible. Except… there's no reason to think they're lying. Something weird is up between all these worlds. But there's no way to find out what and it gives us such a headache we've basically given up trying."

Daigo nodded reluctantly. "Well, as long as your cartoon doesn't give away my future."

"Nope, just Tai and them!" Takato blurted back, trying to inject some positive energy into the conversation… and steering away from Daigo's fate.

Cracking a smile, Daigo said, "Well… if it doesn't concern me, I do wonder what the group following us had to do."

Takato grinned ear to ear. "Buddy, you've come to the right place!"

He and Henry spent the next twenty minutes regaling four of the original destined with stories of their successors. Most of them had heard a very basic story either first-hand or from the internationals, but the tamers proved to be more equipped and more willing to answer questions, particularly about the return of the Dark Masters and Apocalymon, troubling and personal to the four.

Not only that, but if Daigo was worried about others knowing his future, he was very invested in turning the tables: "So the guy that was singing tonight would have ended up in space?"

Takato nodded, still grinning. "Life is crazy."

Daigo shrugged. "Honestly, it's reassuring to know you can have a good future after everything we've been through. It didn't feel possible with us. But I can't believe all those guys are comfortable with being a TV show in your world."

"Oh, they were terrified!" Terriermon said. "But they got over it."

Through their conversation, they hadn't noticed how crowded the space had gotten. The fireworks must have been imminent. Takato caught Jeri and Koichi heading out. Before he could decide whether it was appropriate to flag them down, they saw him and approached.

"Jeri! Did you have fun tonight?" asked Guilmon.

She pet the top of his head. "I did. Although it's weird not having to clean up afterwards. I hope you two had a good time as well."

"Uh, yeah!" Takato glanced at Daigo before turning back. "Had some interesting company."

Maki walked out next, alone. She spotted her teammates, struck a smile, and joined them. With a deep, satisfied breath, Daigo asked, "Where's your date?"

"Stayed behind to get Nene's autograph… even though I'm pretty sure they were on the same team." She rolled her eyes. "I trust you found a way to keep yourself entertained without me?"

"Of course! Hey, you know Davis and them? They found the armor digi-eggs."

She shook her head, chuckling, "Told you we should have hid those better." Eying his companions, she added, "I haven't met your friends."

"Uh, yeah, this is Takato and Henry and, uh… Guilmon and Terriermon. And if you think kids from our future is weird…"

Just as Takato prepared for another awkward explanation, Maki nodded along. "Davis's world is a cartoon in yours?"

"How did-"

"Rika was with Davis and them."

Takato gulped. "You were… talking with Davis and them?"

"I was." Maki nodded at Daigo. "They went through hell. And that means something coming from me."

Both Takato and Henry had to turn away to hide the cringe on their faces. "It sure does…" Henry mumbled.

While looking away, Takato remembered Jeri was still next to him. "Anyway… have you met Jeri? I promise she's nicer than Rika!"

Jeri bowed. "It's nice to meet you." When she rose, she caught Maki's eyes. The joy on her face vanished and she leaned in, poring into them. She approached her, both hands settling on her shoulders. "It still hurts, doesn't it?"

The gesture alone was enough to hush Maki. Looking into Jeri's eyes almost brought her to tears. "How did you cope with it?"

"Well…" Jeri took a deep breath. "A giant monstrosity fed off my grief and nearly destroyed Tokyo." She blinked. "So… not very well." Koichi patted her shoulder. Maki released a sad chuckle and nodded.

"What was his name?" asked Daigo.

"Leomon."

"Huh…" He stroked his chin. "We had a Leomon help us out of a couple jams. He died too. Weird coincidence." His eyebrows flared. "So what's helped?"

Jeri turned to him, a faint smile reappearing. "Well, now I have two boyfriends. But that may not work for everybody."

A pop in the sky drew everyone's attention away from the conversation. A second blast of red from behind the woods prompted everyone to find a seat in the grass. Jeri linked her arm around Takato's, smiling at him as she pulled both he and Koichi to their own spot, Guilmon following obediently but still looking up in confusion. They kept some distance from the original digidestined and Henry. With Terriermon on his head and his date tugging his arm to pull herself closer, Takato couldn't tell if he was peaceful or uncomfortable.

Daigo watched them as much as the fireworks. He didn't notice Maki sit next to him, eyes on him. She sighed, smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder. His head spun back to her, his hands shaking. One rose for a moment, but froze in place and eventually settled back down. He relaxed and stared up at the show, maintaining his silent, unwavering support.

Takato smiled at them, content and happy with each other. He knew their fates, and cursed his brain for recalling them in such a moment of peace. It painted the scene with melancholy, showing two kids sharing a rare moment of serenity, having endured so much, yet destined to destroy each other in their grief.

He turned to Jeri, her eyes to the fireworks above, awe in her eyes and a smile on her face. She sensed his gaze and met it with reassurance. Takato smiled back, but after casting his eyes up, it faded. How were he and Jeri different than Daigo and Maki? How did they avoid their tragic ending? As he considered it, the answer became clear.

With his free hand, he wrapped an arm around Guilmon and drew him closer.

* * *

Tagiru Akashi dribbled a basketball around the new court outside Isthmian, turning and firing a jumper over the head of his imaginary opponent. It clanged off the hoop and bounced into the grass. Gumdramon retrieved it and he tried again, undeterred by the miss. The court itself was his victory.

After Cerealia exposed them to all the nice stuff the new settlement had or was getting, enough of the hunters pointed out the unfairness of Isthmian going lacking. Takuya readily agreed to improvements. Tagiru suggested the basketball court, seconded by Mikey as "versatile, a sign of progress, and pretty quick to install." They had the asphalt down and the net up within a week.

Going through his motion again, Tagiru fired another shot, this one getting a lucky bounce off the rim and falling through. He pumped his fist and grabbed the ball. Now he needed live opposition.

He wasn't surprised to see Haru in the courtyard again. A bench by the pool became a favorite spot of his since the party. After hearing the story, Tagiru sort of understood the vague symbolism involved and didn't ask questions. In fact, when he approached Haru, he didn't call attention to it. Instead he pointed out Mizuki swimming and asked, "Enjoying the view?"

Haru turned to him, confused. Tagiru shrugged it off and added, "Never mind. Doing okay?"

"I don't know. I know I should get back to work but…"

"Nah, take a break. You deserve it. You brought him back! That's what matters!"

"I know but…" Haru shook his head. "What happened to him only makes it harder."

"No kidding. I thought there was a law about robots protecting themselves."

Haru cocked an eyebrow. "You read Asimov?"

Tagiru didn't look, focused on spinning the ball on his finger. "As a what?"

"Never mind. That's… not a real thing anyway. Not unless we code them that way." He sighed. "I might need to code him that way."

After staring at the water longer, Haru continued, "I hate having to think about Yuujin as not human. I told myself that once he's back, he needed to be human so that would be the end of it." With a deep breath, he admitted, "I programmed him the same way. My Yuujin believes he was always human. That's how I want him to think. I guess I should have expected him to freak out when his body was something else."

"Yeah, being stuck in a robot's body sounds cool… but not as a Roomba."

"Being stuck in a robot's body…" repeated Haru, nodding blankly. "When Rei and I thought about the body, we knew we had to fool everyone else." He glanced at Tagiru. "I wanted to be fooled too. But that's not good enough, is it?" Tagiru set the ball down and stared back. "We need to fool Yuujin too. He needs to believe he's human."

Tagiru didn't know much about robotics or artificial intelligence, but that sounded daunting, maybe even impossible. "So how are you gonna do that?"

Haru stared past him, eyes losing focus. "I have no idea." His face lost color, his body gradually sinking.

"Do you play basketball?" Tagiru asked him.

He blinked, popping upright again. "Huh?"

Tagiru threw the ball in the air and caught it. "You know, do you hoop?"

"I'm… no."

"Cool, I'll teach you!" Tagiru tossed the ball at Haru, who almost dropped it into the pool.

"Uh, I'm not very good at sports."

"You don't have to be good! Just better than Ewan." He stood up and motioned for the ball back. "C'mon, that pool's gonna get boring after a while if you aren't in it."

Haru stared back, rotating the ball between his hands with no comfort or coordination. He looked at it and pondered for a while, before slapping it with both hands and returning it back to Tagiru, a weak pass he barely caught. "Sure."

He stood up and they headed out to the court, Tagiru dribbling the ball on the grass along the way. "Do you think I'll be able to do it?" asked Haru.

Tagiru threw his other arm around Haru's neck. Rather than give a straight answer, he spouted every basketball cliche he could think of until Haru changed the subject.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 12:** **"Go Get Your Gun"**  
In this episode, Takuya calls for a risky attack on a D-Brigade base, testing the fortitude of himself and Tagiru. Problems arise between Izzy and Matt in a crucial moment. Daigo reaches a breaking point and makes a startling decision.

" _It's the first time I've ever thought having these dreams wasn't silly."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

As you've probably noticed, every chapter of Neverworld and Nexusworld has a song providing the chapter title and opening quote. I like to pick either bands that are under the radar or lesser known songs from bands whose glory days are behind them (to the point where I was actually dismayed hearing one of these songs on the radio in the grocery store). This is a fun one because not only is Felix Hagan and the Family's "Attention Seeker" a perfect song for Matt, Nene, and Eri's performance, but it's the title track of an album full of songs relevant to current Nexusworld action. "Whoa There Kimmy" is my go-to for Ewan's feelings toward Airu, "Fall Away" sounds like Haru pining for Yuujin, and I used "Be A Freak" as my model for Eri, Nene, and Meiko's idol routine (obviously some imaginary peppy version, of course). The whole album is worth a listen!

"Pound It" is a common post-battle dap in Miraculous Ladybug, where Meiko's voice actor plays the title character. And if you've ever heard Cristina Vee sing, you'd know Meiko's concerns are ill-founded.

Last week, the 02 kids were confirmed for the new Adventure movie! The announcement included profiles saying Daisuke frequently abuses the digital gates to hop around the world trying out different noodle types and flavors. I wrote the scene of Davis hounding Phil's pizza stand three months ago. Again, this new movie would take place a couple years after the 02 kids, Meiko, and the internationals were pulled in here, so the only significant foreseeable contradiction would be somehow confirming that Meicoomon was reborn.

I wrote the original scene with Matt's song on an Amtrak train while someone else in the observation car was playing a harmonica. This would have been a far better story if I hadn't completely rewritten the lyrics earlier this week.

Speaking of Matt's song, I originally tried to craft my own melody to use, but that's not my thing so the melody and rhyme structure are cribbed off an existing song. Good luck guessing what it is!

"Aren't you a peach, hun?" is dub Meiko's line to Tai after he catches her drifting into her home accent in Coexistence.

Tagiru saying robots have to protect themselves is a misapplication of Asimov's Third Law of Robotics, hence Haru's confusion. All sorts of science fiction borrows it (Tagiru no doubt heard it in a movie), but it's irrelevant to actual artificial intelligence such as Yuujin.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment or hit me up on Twitter or Tumblr! I also now have a Ko-Fi and Curious Cat (arpulver) for donations and submitting anonymous questions, respectively.


	12. Go Get Your Gun

**Author** **'s Note**  
Back for three more episodes! This will take us past the halfway mark. As such… get ready for some explosives. One big thing cropping up is that Appmon has been licensed and is now available to watch on Crunchyroll! At some point I'll go back and change a few terms to match their translations, but I might be choosier than if the show was dubbed. I haven't met anyone who likes how they translated Astra's catchphrase and if I still haven't bothered to change Hououmon after she was called Phoenixmon in tri., I can miss the new "official" spelling of a couple character names.

 **Nexusworld**

 _Go get your gun. Get your gun, imposing penance one by one._  
 _You_ _'ve got a virtue in a vice. It forces fate; you're taking lives._  
 _With all the history to guide, you've got a passion in those eyes._  
 _So aim it straight and true._  
 _\- The Deer Hunter,_ _"Go Get Your Gun"_

 **Episode 12**

Keenan Crier had almost two dozen eyes on him as he gave his report. The war room was crowded enough with just the twelve humans, but after Gatchmon insisted on having a presence at tactical discussions and many Digimon followed suit, the heat was as hard to bear as the news.

"We saw Gorillamon there too. And Sethmon. Whole mountain packed with enemies."

"And that's on top of the D-Brigade troops and the Bullmon?" asked Koji.

Keenan nodded. "All training together."

"Did you hear what they might be planning?" asked Daigo, trying to coax the last few drops of water from the bottom of his glass.

"Merukimon kept shouting the next strike was coming soon."

Izzy stroked his chin. "This may not be a popular choice, but if we know who's in their army and we can correct our mistakes from last time, we could repel them easier."

Matt scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You weren't here when the bomb went off." Izzy kept his head down, shielding his eyes. "We saw what happened last time. It can't happen again."

"Exactly!" At the front of the room, Takuya stood next to Keenan. "We can't wait for them to threaten the castle again! We have to go after them!"

"But…" Haru paused to gather his words. "As much information as Keenan gathered, you'll be at a disadvantage fighting somewhere they're more familiar with."

"Not if we catch 'em by surprise!"

Despite Takuya's big toothy smirk, Haru didn't buy it. "Are we actually going to? If we're fighting two large, organized allies, wouldn't they have scouts who will know we're coming?"

"Did they attack when you and Rei were here alone three weeks ago?"

"Well… no but-"

"Then they obviously aren't watching us that closely."

"Don't assume that," Rei blurted. "Attacking only two of us might not suit their goal."

"Why wouldn't it?"

"They only get to kill two of us."

Takuya looked away, huffing as he shook his head. "Look, we didn't bring all of you in here to argue about this. Koji and Matt and I already agreed we need to go after them."

The protests started on cue: "Hey, let's think about this," said Mikey.

"I'm not sure this is smart," said Haru.

"You can't make us risk our lives," said Daigo.

Takuya's voice rose over the shouts. "Hey, if we needed everyone's agreement we'd never get anything done! This needs to happen before they attack again."

"We don't even know when that is," Christopher muttered.

"Soon. 'The next strike is coming soon.' That's all we got but it's pretty clear we don't have much time."

Even as the protests quieted, the anger still permeated the room. Nene's voice was calm and neutral, but no less biting: "If the decision had already been made, why bring us all in here?"

Takuya pointed at her, relieved to hear a question he was prepared for. "We're not just sending out Mikey's team for this one. We gotta hit 'em hard and fast. So that means almost all of us. Even me and Koji." Many eyebrows raised, but only a hushed silence followed. "Matt, Sora, and Izzy should be ready back here in case of a counter-attack."

"Sure there isn't a better way to do this?" Bearmon asked.

"There's gotta be a better way to do this!" Gatchmon ran a search. "We could uh… try a siege! Or cut off their supply lines!"

"They can fly," Koji replied, shaking his head in frustration. "And they're too fast for us unless we can corner them."

"A siege doesn't work either," Takuya added. "Point is to get the jump on them, not to get closer and let them get the jump on us."

"Look." Koji popped to his feet, a mix of authority and annoyance on his face as he scanned all the faces in the room. "We've thought about this. If we take the battle to them, we've set the terms. They can't catch us in the open. And they've got a lot of numbers but they aren't that strong, especially in a confined space. Last time they only had three top-level Digimon: Merukimon, Dianamon, and Gryphonmon. With Daigo's team we have nine." He got a few conceding nods. "Let's sweep them out of there, send a message not to mess with us again, and get on with our lives."

Takuya rose as well. "Hey, most of you guys are new. Do you know how we cleaned out our continent? Do you know how we made it safer for everybody? Stuff like this. And we need to get some payback after what they did to us. Let's go get it, okay?!"

His attempt at a cheer didn't work—only Tagiru shouted back—but nobody dissented. He got a handful of nods as the room tried to shuffle out the door at once, creating a massive bottleneck. On the way out, Daigo, Mikey, and Haru looked at their monster companions for reassurance, getting only solemn nods in return.

Only one pair of invitees stayed seated, lingering until everyone but Takuya and Koji were out of the room. When Sora turned to Takuya, Biyomon stared down Koji until he excused himself.

"I really got a good feeling about this," said Takuya. "How could I have sold that better? I don't think everyone's convinced." When Sora's head dropped, he became frantic. "You trust me, right?! I swear we know what we're doing!"

After a long pause, Sora answered, "Haru made some good points." She looked up at him. "I'm not an expert, but there's a lot you guys don't know about where you're going and who you're fighting. It just sounds really dangerous."

"And going through mountains and caves and stuff is bad enough for a Digimon," added Biyomon. "What about our partners?"

Takuya reeled. The human partner presence had always been a blind spot in his thinking. Through desperate breaths, he said, "We have to do this. We can't afford to let them hit us again." He extended a hand across the table. "You… believe in me, right?"

She nodded, her morose frown and sad eyes unchanged. "Just come back alive, okay?"

* * *

Eri Karan was relieved to find the door to Meiko's office unlocked. She'd spent a good part of the morning running around helping someone look for batteries before coming to the conclusion they were out. She was not going to run around looking for a notepad and pen. Those were in Meiko's office, as was the best place to leave said note to add it to the shopping list. Eri snuck in, dashed to the desk, wrote the note, and stuck it on the computer screen.

The shuffling from the extended futon behind her was the first sign she wasn't alone. Her plan was to get out before Meiko noticed. Not only was she technically trespassing, waking anybody up over batteries would have been rude. She tiptoed to the door, glancing at the futon in time to see Tai, groggy and shirtless, sit up and stare back.

He rubbed his eyes. "Um… morning."

Eri froze, unable to stop staring. Tai… in Meiko's bed… no shirt… athlete's physique… no idea what he wore under the covers… her mind strayed to an unreachable place. Her synapses misfired and shut down.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I… uh… I was… just leaving her a note." Her system recovered in time to stamp her foot and drive a finger back at him. "What are you doing?!"

Tai blinked, grinning a little as his face turned red. "Do you really want the details?"

She recoiled. Eri knew the details. The details weren't the problem. But such sordid stories had always been awkward hypotheticals in her head. Idols weren't allowed to participate, so if anyone she worked with did they kept quiet. Now she was confronted with a clear, direct, unashamed confirmation that people close to her actually did such things in real life. This shook her more.

"That's what I thought," Tai concluded.

Desperate to switch the topic and unwilling to scurry away in terror of perfect pectorals, she picked her head up. "What are you doing here?"

Tai shrugged. "I took a day off. Said I'd spend the day up here to see everyone working."

"But really you're here to…" She couldn't spit out the rest.

"What, am I not allowed to spend time with my girlfriend?"

Hearing him say "girlfriend" was hard to process. She still couldn't picture Meiko and Tai. He wasn't around much and Meiko was too bashful to bring it up so Eri had forgotten about it.

Instead, she grunted. "You can do whatever you want. Apparently."

When she dared to look his way again, his eyes were off her, pointed at the empty side of the futon where Meiko had been. He sighed and said, "Look… I don't want a fight with you." She was surprised to hear it, but kept her guard up. "You're all doing really well with this place and all I've been doing is getting in the way."

Eri stared back, waiting for more. Maybe he wanted her to respond because he fumbled for a moment when she didn't. "Um… I mean I still think there's things about this world you guys need to be aware of. I know there are ways I can help. Meiko's sure of it too."

He stopped, begging for a concession she still didn't want to provide. This was such an unexpected change, she couldn't help but be wary of it. She ended up bailing. With a shrug, she said, "I don't know why you're talking to me. Mina and them make all the big decisions." Eri let herself be naive to the amount of influence she had. Accepting that would have made the conversation too stressful.

"Right, right… I just… don't want things to get too nasty between us. I know you care about Meiko a lot."

"I do?" she blurted in genuine surprise. Sure Eri cared, but she cared about everybody in the settlement. Her initial bad impression of Meiko had long expired, but through months of working with her, she both suffered through her incessant need to apologize for being herself and enjoyed her perseverance and capabilities. Through all that, Eri never got around to deciding if she actually _liked_ her.

Of course, this didn't come out as uncertainty, but through a red face and a stammering denial. "W-what makes you say that?! I don't…"

"Sorry!" Tai's hands flew up, his topsheet flying forward and exposing more of his stomach. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I don't know if you're…" He paused to gulp. "Who you're into."

Despite her flustered state, only now was she truly embarrassed. Liking Meiko was a hard question; being attracted to her was completely alien. "And you think I do?!" she shouted back. He cocked his head, eyes narrowing. She didn't understand his confusion but she welcomed it, taking a moment to gather herself with a few calming breaths. "I'm an idol. I spent the last seven years pretending to be asexual. I don't know anything." She gestured to the bed. "This is… a lot."

"Oh." Tai looked down. "That's kind of sad. But if it helps, I don't think anyone really understands all this."

Eri couldn't take too much solace in that. She had to recognize the feeling before she could understand it. Was it in her admiration for Nene's beauty and poise or Meiko's hard work or Tai's carved body? It wasn't a conclusion she'd reach soon. Still, he did attempt sincere comfort, and she nodded in recognition. "I don't get it at all, but I hope you make each other happy."

"Thanks." He smiled. It was small but genuine.

She pointed at him, eyes cross. "Just don't hurt her. Because then I'm stuck dealing with it."

* * *

Mimi Tachikawa seemed to take longer to get through the dishes every day. It didn't hinder the smooth operation of the kitchen, especially since Palmon did the heavy lifting, her vines whipping silverware into the dishwasher with speed and precision. Nobody noticed Mimi's slower scrubbing pace. Her thoughts would drift off for minutes at a time, only to crash back to reality when she discovered she had been working on the same pan. Even she didn't realize how much time she was wasting.

Her head hadn't been in the right place since the festival. The excitement, the dancing, and the different cuisines should have rejuvenated her. She liked to cook, and she loved other people relying on her cooking, but it was among the more demanding daily routines in the castle. Mimi took plenty of time off, but it was for rest, a few moments of peace and low stress. Parties provided fresh sources of excitement and new experiences to indulge in. But unlike all the other big events before it, Mimi came out of this one emptier.

Perhaps her lack of involvement was part of the reason. With Eri and the international kids taking the reins, she didn't have to do much for this one. She was free to show up and enjoy herself, and she certainly did. Everybody did: the new arrivals put on a great show. Mimi would never begrudge others a moment in the spotlight. Her old New York crew deserved more love and she was happy to see them get it. But her lack of hard work meant no reward for her to yield, no satisfaction of a job well done. She missed that this time.

She also couldn't shake the sight of Meiko standing on the same stage with two professional idols. Meiko, the girl Mimi had to coax into scuffling her way through a routine for a dozen kids in a classroom, danced in front of hundreds. She was surprised not by Meiko's ability, but that she got the opportunity to shine and didn't run from it. Mimi would have loved the chance to show off her moves. She would have loved the chance to have a booth showing the unique food combinations everybody forbid her from serving en masse. Really, she would have loved the chance to contribute in any way beyond her normal role.

"Are you done with that one yet?" Palmon asked. Mimi had done it again, shaking her head and handing her partner the pot. With the sink empty, she dried her hands and joined Tommy in the corner, staring at his D-Tector, lost in his own universe.

"Something wrong?" she asked, jolting him out of his trance. Maybe she had looked the same way to Palmon.

Tommy grimaced. "Oh, uh… Takuya and them are on a mission. Everyone's kind of tense. Kumamon's feeding me updates."

"Kumamon?" She stared back. "I did not know that was a thing."

"Where do you think I get all my dirt on Takuya?"

She leaned back and sighed. "I forgot what we're supposed to be making tonight but I'm thinking we should go off menu."

"We're not making anything tonight. The Thai kids are coming in."

Another blow to her spirits. Henry scheduled frequent "guest cooks" where some international kids would take her duties for a night. Mimi didn't mind the extra time off. She did mind that all the variety and excitement on the menu now came from them, leaving her as the boring default.

Just as she considered airing her frustrations, Tommy stood and pocketed the D-Tector. "Right, I need to get some coriander from the garden. You coming?"

"Sure." With Palmon capable of wrapping up, Mimi had the rest of the day off and could have done whatever she wanted. Instead, she followed Tommy on a tangential task. All the possibilities open to her, and she chose to remain tethered to the kitchen while the new arrivals made instant impressions. It wasn't the first time Mimi suffered a malaise. It was the first time rolling up her sleeves and working through it felt like the problem rather than the answer.

* * *

Tagiru Akashi wanted this mission to be over with, even before it officially started. He had always been excited for any assignment, from the Eaglemon hunt to the new continent to the defense against the D-Brigade, so his subdued attitude here concerned him. While he didn't have the same reservations as Haru, all the doubts in the war room made it hard to be too exuberant. The environment was bound to be harsh and a nagging part of him still blamed himself for making the operation necessary. Once it was over and the evil forces sent running, it was bound to be a huge relief. He just wished they were there already.

Even Gumdramon didn't want to be there, which no doubt influenced Tagiru's thinking. "Was it this cold when we came through last time?" he asked. Shoutmon shushed him.

They had just veered from the main pass, scaling a narrow ridge to the camp above. Nene and Keenan had flown Sparrowmon and Crowmon up to make sure an ambush or rockslide wasn't waiting for them. They reported everything clear.

Clear from Digimon, at least. "Whoa, what?" Mikey looked up after the first few flurries landed on his face. The surrounding gray mountains offered enough contrast to see a steady stream of falling snow.

"It would be pretty if we weren't going out to kill stuff," said Daigo. "You haven't seen snow before?"

"Not in the Digital World."

"It's rare, but it happens," said Lobomon, trying not to smirk at Agunimon's growing aggravation. "Keep moving."

The final climb required Digimon assistance: vines and tendrils and outright flight escorted the party to the wide clearing halfway up the mountain. Were it not for the gradual slope towards the cliff, it would have been an ideal place to make camp. Keenan surprised everyone when he said this was not a stop, but the destination.

"But… nobody's here…" said Haru, brushing the collected snow off his jacket.

"They were." Keenan pointed out the small pile of brush and stones that had once played fire pit.

"So what, they're all in the cave?" Lobomon stared at the narrow, eight-foot-tall crack in the rock.

"Yes they are," said Nene, pointing at her Fusion Loader. "Miki identified signals for Sealsdramon and Commandramon."

Shoutmon peered at the entrance. The mountain was wide enough to hide some sort of base behind it, but they struggled to imagine Merukimon fitting through the door. "What about the big guys?"

"Gryphonmon is on the other side of the range. No sign of the other two."

"No wonder they're hiding," said Agunimon. "Okay, so even if we're not taking out a general, if we can mop up the grunts and wreck their base, that'll still slow them down."

Rei narrowed his eyes. "You're not worried about running into a trap?"

"With the guns we have?! We'll be in and out in fifteen minutes even if it is a trap! Daigo: you guys wait outside in case Gryphonmon shows up. Stay in touch with us and Miki. The rest of us will go in and shoot anything that moves."

Daigo leaned in towards Tagiru. "I don't know who's getting the short straw here." Gumdramon glared at Bearmon sticking his tongue out to catch snowflakes.

Tagiru got in line as the team of six humans, six Digimon, and two Appmon entered single file. Agunimon and Lobomon barely got through without crouching and Sparrowmon had to fly in sideways. The cave only widened a little, the light from outside revealing white ice walls extending deeper into the darkness of the cave. The humans pulled out flashlights. Lobomon held up his light swords but didn't reveal much else.

"Okay… let's try this… Pyro Punch!" Agunimon fired a flame into the black. As it flew down it exposed more ice wall until it smashed against a surface. Instead of extinguishing, the fireball came right back towards the group. Shoutmon smashed it away with his microphone stand. "Uh… I guess we should see what that was about?"

Behind him, Christopher tapped Nene's shoulder and pointed at the wall on the left, namely the abrupt black above it. Nene nodded, hopped on Sparrowmon and rode her up to the top, disappearing from sight.

They all heard Sparrowmon cry, "Lightning Lasers!" The blasts connected and a Commandramon fell from the wall, crashed to the ground, and disintegrated.

Agunimon grinned. "Cool! Someone check the other side!"

Lobomon dashed between the two faces until he scaled the opposite wall. Falcomon hoisted Keenan up, allowing him to run up the cliff to the ledge above. Flashes of light signaled Lobomon's swords striking an enemy and Falcomon evolving to Peckmon.

The remaining troops charged ahead, picking up speed with the new threat of snipers above. They came to an abrupt halt when they saw themselves at the end of the hallway. The dead end reflected back like a mirror, as did the ends of the side walls. Above them, Sparrowmon and Lobomon found more Commandramon to fight.

"Do we have to go up or can we go through?" Haru asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Gumdramon jumped at the back mirror and slammed it with his tail. The force reflected back to him, sending him flying straight back into Tagiru. Both slammed backwards to the ground, the boy crushed by an intense weight feeling more like a cannonball than a Digimon.

"Tagiru! Are you okay?!" Haru crouched over him. Tagiru gasped for breath, feeling his ribs and getting a sharp jab of pain in response.

Gatchmon ignored them and ran a scan. "Try the other two."

Shoutmon squared his mic stand with one of the side mirrors. "This is crazy…" he muttered as he swung. It shattered, revealing a well-lit room behind it. Gatchmon clawed the other side to find another one.

"Oh, so it works when you guys do it…" moaned Gumdramon.

With a smirk, Gatchmon replied, "Get good, punk."

"Okay, let's split up!" shouted Agunimon.

Mikey stepped in. "Hold up. Let's get Tagiru out of here."

"Nah…" Tagiru's voice was raspy, his vision blurred from the pain that came with every breath. "I'm not giving up!" Haru helped him to his feet.

"Hey, your ribs might be broken!" Mikey put his hands on Tagiru's shoulders, looking him in the eye. "You're not impressing anybody!"

"He's impressing me," said Agunimon. He pointed to the other door. "Haru, Rei: take that door and meet up with Koji and Keenan. There can't be much more to this place. Let's go."

More mirror-like walls greeted them on the other side, making it hard to tell if the room was actually more open or only appeared that way. Best they could tell, four fat pillars of these reflective walls stretched to the ceiling, monoliths in the large, otherwise flat chamber. Above them to their left, Sparrowmon continued to shoot down Commandramon snipers.

Agunimon eased the team forward, using the nearest pillar for cover. Mikey and Christopher added Shoutmon X4, Greymon, and MailBirdramon to the army. Wincing as he retrieved his Fusion Loader, Tagiru evolved Gumdramon.

"Sealsdramon on the far end," Nene reported through her squawker. "Three of them. I'll have Beelzemon draw their fire."

"All Digimon charge once he does," Agunimon ordered. He pointed to the humans. "You three stay here."

"Double Impact!" When the cry came out from above, the five Digimon rushed out into the open in time to hear Beelzemon's attack shatter glass on the other side of the room. All three Sealsdramon appeared: one clearly a reflection, one that appeared to be in the open, and one too close to a pillar to tell. They launched attacks at all three.

"V for Victory!" Shoutmon X4 targeted the reflection, charring the wall and breaking the glass. The Sealsdramon appeared in another mirror and returned fire. Shots clanged off Greymon.

"Flog Shot!" Arresterdramon's attack smashed another mirror.

"Pyro Darts!" Agunimon volleyed fire at the Sealsdramon in front of them, presumably out in the open. It was ready and dodged the attack, which bounced off the mirror and reflected straight back. Agunimon dodged, allowing Sealsdramon to open fire on all of them.

MailBirdramon spelled it out as the others evaded. "Some of the mirrors reflect. Some break."

"And only they know the difference…" moaned Agunimon.

Arresterdramon destroyed yet another mirror, but lost sight of the third Sealsdramon completely. When they spotted it again, it took aim at mirrors behind the Digimon. It fired a few rounds off before MailBirdramon flew in to disrupt him.

No one saw that fight. Tagiru's scream was too loud: "MIKEY!"

The shout alone doubled him over, but the horror of the bullet striking Mikey's shoulder trumped any chest pain. Tagiru fell forward, crawling to Mikey, in tears even before his mentor checked the blood covering the hand on his wound. Mikey choked up at the sight, his eyes rolling back.

Tagiru threw his hands on Mikey's side and uninjured shoulder. "Mikey! Mikey!" Mikey's eyes snapped back into focus at Tagiru. "Oh God, oh God." His chest protested every breath he pushed through it.

"It's fine," Mikey whimpered through gritted teeth. His bloody hand reached for his Fusion Loader. "Just gotta get… Cutemon." He groaned and grunted every step of the way. With Mikey leaning against the wall, Cutemon couldn't do much standing on the ground.

"Hey, Medic! We need you in here, now!" Christopher shouted into the squawker.

His shouting, the continued rounds of gunfire, and the fire and missile attacks all faded into muted, muffled background noise as Tagiru suffered through his own pain while watching Mikey in agony. Digimon battling around the corner meant nothing to him now.

Agunimon, his own priorities flipped, turned human the moment he had cover. Takuya slid in to examine Mikey. "Oh man… how bad is it?"

"Relax…" Mikey attempted to stand. "You still need me to help, right?"

"Please hold still," Cutemon squeaked.

"No, dude, stay there." Takuya used the mirror behind him to check the fight. Nothing was getting resolved.

"I'm okay. Not the first time it's happened." Mikey squirmed. "C'mon, you were there."

"Oh God, you're delusional…"

"I'm not leaving you in trouble!"

"Sit down!" Christopher lunged in and punched him in the face, dropping Mikey to the floor unconscious. Cutemon sighed and resumed his work. Takuya knew he should have returned to the fight. He was as immobile as Mikey.

So was Tagiru, left to stare at Mikey, out cold, his left sleeve and arm bloodied, his Fusion Loader two shades of red. Yet he couldn't react. Every wail of emotion, every heaving breath he needed to push the tears out punished him with more pain. Digimon battled around him, offering a fresh chance to recapture glory, yet he longed to shut down, for Christopher to knock him out too. Instead he had to endure the disaster in front of him with no freedom to react, all as the voice blaming him from within grew louder and more distinct.

"Again: Medic!" Christopher's shouts grew.

Finally, the muffled, worried voice of Daigo cracked through: "Uh… we're in the middle of something. You guys need to get out here… fast."

* * *

Daigo Nishijima heard the demands for medical attention from inside, the injuries stockpiling in whatever trap they sprung. He still wished he could have swapped places with them. When Miki said neither Merukimon nor Dianamon were in the area, everybody in the party took that to mean the heavy hitters wouldn't be a factor. As it turned out, they just looked for the wrong heavy hitters.

Even from a distance, even through the intensifying, restricting snow, the four of them knew they were in trouble. The four giant wings on its back barely fluttered, yet kept the giant purple cyborg afloat. It didn't make any moves at first, just stared back. Daigo ordered everyone to evolve as he checked his digivice. When he read the name, fear choked him with such force he forgot to breathe. Darkdramon led the D-Brigade.

"Terrible Gaze." Everyone saw it fire the beam from its eyes, too awed to react in time to avoid it. It knocked the humans over not from force, but from every muscle in their bodies going numb. Daigo collapsed away from the action and struggled to turn around as Darkdramon charged in with his lance. "Lasers of Light," it called next. The ground rumbled as a wall of heat slammed into him, restoring enough of his senses to move. Stopping him now was his fear that he wouldn't see his partner or teammates behind him.

Everyone was alive, his fellow digidestined gaining feeling enough to leap to their partners, all weak and struggling to their feet. LoaderLiomon made it up first and whipped his tail around at Darkdramon. The enemy didn't bother to dodge the swinging wrecking ball, not budging as it struck his side. "Demon Stab." Darkdramon lunged forward, his lance striking LoaderLiomon and knocking him over again.

Triceramon, Hippogriffomon, and Orochimon all fired their own attacks. Darkdramon flattened them again. This time they took longer to get up. Another laser attack made all four Ultimates scream in agony, joined by their partners pleading for help.

Daigo couldn't stomach it. They looked so weak against the Mega. For six years, he imagined his team was capable, just a little unlucky. That was shattered now. They had no chance against Darkdramon. They needed something more. His fleeing hopes numbed him as much as Darkdramon's attack had.

The loud repetitive crashing behind and above him somehow pulled him away from Darkdramon's assault. Some faint hopeful part of him thought it could be the guys from inside rushing out to save the day. A rockslide was more likely. Instead it was an enormous panther man, torso and arms of muscle and fire, stomping down the face of the mountain. His last step before the clearing collapsed the cave entrance. The step after that threw Daigo to the ground. He peeked at his digivice again, dreading the inevitable result: Marsmon.

As one enemy leader stepped across the snow-dusted rock, Daigo's broken, terrified team laid battered and helpless between him and the other enemy leader. Marsmon stared them all down, taking his time in deciding how to best dispense with them. Daigo clutched the digivice still in his hand. These where the times when the miracles came. As four Ultimates they had no chance. But as the four Harmonious Ones? He thought of his need to protect his teammates, both out in the snow with him and struggling inside the mountain. He thought of his bond with Bearmon, picked up after six years apart and realizing just how lost they were without each other. He sensed warmth from his digivice. Whether spiritual energy or literal heat from processing strain, something was happening. Daigo closed his eyes to let it.

When he opened them again, nothing changed. LoaderLiomon was still LoaderLiomon, staring back at Daigo in confusion and horror. The three other humans had their digivices out as well, heads darting between each other and their partners, all equally shocked. Marsmon reared a fist back, ready to slam the whole lot into oblivion.

Orochimon reared back one of his heads, swinging to the side to knock his partner away. Triceramon did the same with his head; Hippogriffomon with his wing. They cleared their partners away from Marsmon's booming blow, propelling all four Digimon forward, off the cliff, screaming. Daigo tried to run to the edge to see where or if they landed but Darkdramon aimed its lance at him. He fell to his knees and closed his eyes. Tears streamed down. He was too familiar with being at the mercy of multiple enemy Digimon. He also knew how it ended the last time.

"Orochimon…" His teammate whimpered, too close to the edge and too worried to care about the threat Darkdramon posed. Hippogriffomon's partner pulled her in. The three huddled under Marsmon's shadow, Daigo too frozen to join them.

"That's all you have to offer?" Marsmon's snarling, booming voice echoed off the surrounding mountains. "You invade my territory, you interfere with my war, you raid my encampment… and this is all you have to fight with? This is an insult!"

"Scrub the stain. Eliminate the enemy." Darkdramon's robotic voice carried no emotion. It wasn't as boisterous as Marsmon, but still kept Daigo on his knees.

Marsmon held up a hand. "You shame the Digimon who fight for you. If the world is just, they will survive to grieve for you and everybody foolish enough to charge inside."

In a panicky desperate hope, Daigo their Digimon evolving in midair to fly up to take them out in the middle of their boasting. Instead, Marsmon's speech ended and his fist reared back, igniting in orange flame, targeted at the three unarmed humans. Darkdramon's sights remained on Daigo. There was no miracle coming for them this time, not even one charging a fee as steep as Tapirmon. He needed to provide his own. He needed to be a leader and repress six years of doubt and actually do something.

That something was not dying: "We surrender!" he screamed, loud enough to freeze Marsmon and risk an avalanche behind them.

The fist flame died down and Marsmon turned to the boy. "Short as it was, the battle is over. Face the consequences."

"That's…" Daigo gulped, took a breath, and launched into it: "That's why you have to let us surrender! You just said it: the battle's over. The, uh… the rules say you have to accept our surrender."

"Rules?" Marsmon added a scoff.

"Yeah! Uh… I'm… surprised you don't know the laws of war! The Geneva Convention doesn't ring a bell?"

Darkdramon fired a laser into the air, destroying all of Daigo's nerves and throwing him to the ground. "Don't waste my time. I must eradicate the enemy."

Marsmon raised a hand. "Halt! If these humans have a code of war, I am bound to honor it, no matter how weak. Victory will be easy enough without tactics they find dishonorable." He leaned down to better stare at Daigo, the expressionless panther face giving nothing away, but the voice more sinister. "Behind our walls we may be able to learn more about their plans."

"Uh… no torture!" Daigo squeaked. "That's in there too!" Mumbling, he added, "I hope."

"Regardless, we'll do our best to make your stay unpleasant."

Daigo half gasped, half replied, "Okay!" He clipped his digivice to his belt loop and raised his arms, gesturing for his teammates to do the same. "Okay… let's get moving. Where to?" The four gathered together, taking frequent looks back at Darkdramon, fearful of cheap shots. Marsmon concentrated on each of them, never eliminating the possibility of a trap.

It wasn't meant to be. But under Marsmon's legs, Daigo saw an entire chunk of the mountain open up like a sliding door, Raidramon's tendrils doing the swinging. Ravemon saw the scene in front of him and ran forward, spinning ahead in midair, arm extended. "Spiral Raven Claw!"

The attack drilled Marsmon in the back, sending him sprawling over Daigo's team and nearly off the cliff. Above him, Darkdramon reared his lance back. Still running off primal survival instinct, Daigo led his companions away from it and toward Keenan, Koji, Haru, and Rei.

"Are you all right?!" Haru cried.

"No!" Daigo shouted back.

"Are they really gone…?" mumbled the team's remaining girl.

Triceramon's partner shook his head, still breathless. "I can't believe that stupid Geneva Convention thing worked… again!"

The third wrapped a comforting arm around the girl, adding, "Though it's actually the Hague Convention. I looked it up after Maki did it."

"Whatever! We're still up a creek here!"

Darkdramon and Marsmon's continued presence ensured that, even with Ravemon, Globemon, and now Revivemon defending them. None of it registered anymore with Daigo. Not seeing their partners blasted off a cliff. Not the way he channeled Maki and delayed their execution. Not his team resorting to unproductive anger and useless trivia to hide their fear as usual. It all led back to the critical moment. All the tricks in the world couldn't change how his team lacked the power to make a true difference. They were helpless as always. He dropped to his knees, ready to throw up if his body cued it.

He missed the hole drilled on the other end of the mountain face. Beelzemon and MailBirdramon followed Dorulumon out, their generals easing Mikey and Tagiru through. One jumped in to help Ravemon as Christopher used the other to add MetalGreymon to the effort. It made the fight a little more even, but only because they acted fast enough to prevent Marsmon or Darkdramon from getting off their most severe attacks.

Behind them, Takuya ran up to Daigo. "Medic!" When Daigo didn't respond, Takuya charged at the actual medic. "We got two guys down here!"

He looked back. "What? Uh…" He glanced at the distraught teammate he was comforting.

"Come on, buddy, we need you!"

"Dude, chill!" Triceramon's partner popped up and grabbed Takuya's collar. "We just been through hell!"

"Takuya!" Koji shouted, pulling him away and pointing him at Marsmon. "Deal with this first!"

"Right, yeah, let's do this!" Through gritted teeth, Takuya held out his D-Tector. Koji joined him in crying, "Ancient Spirits Unite!

Through the haze of his pounding headache, Daigo watched the two combine into one being, their own god of war Susanoomon. Their power hadn't failed them. They had the ability to match anyone. Even before it had fully formed, Marsmon and Darkdramon backed away, flying off before it could fire either a shot or a warning to them.

The moment they were out of sight, Susanoomon split apart. Koji rushed up to the cliff and pounded his leg. Takuya looked back at Mikey and Tagiru. His body gave out and fell into the snow-dusted dirt.

Daigo couldn't look anymore, the thickening snowfall blinding him. He'd blame that for his tears if anyone checked on him. Nobody did; Haru ran to Tagiru the moment he saw the hunter favoring his chest. At least Daigo could have his meltdown in peace.

Somebody on his team must have told somebody else about their partners, because Ravemon flew down to check. Daigo wasn't even worried about Bearmon. The same stupid hope telling him they could evolve to Mega also told him they were still alive. No matter how unreliable it was, he clung to it, unwilling to face that reality any sooner than he needed to. He already had one truth to contend with. Their signature legacy—the Harmonious Ones, forever keeping the world in balance, paid for with the blood of their own—inaccessible, trapped behind some unknowable gate. Without them, even he couldn't hide from his team's pitiful history.

* * *

Izzy Izumi should have been more shocked by the sight of the invading army at Isthmian's doorstep. A combination of fifty or so Bullmon, Sethmon, Gorillamon, and Reppamon led the charge. Their radar had given away Gryphonmon behind them, no doubt for some sneak attack once the ground troops distracted the defenders. The timing of the attack no doubt coincided with Takuya's raid, a chance for a quick assault with most of the heaviest opposition stuck in the mountains. It was so well coordinated Izzy wondered if the whole point of the mountain encampment was to draw an attack.

The numbers weren't as daunting without the D-Brigade backing them up. Instead of engaging the largest numbers in the field, they let them come straight to the castle, where the walls could keep most of the troops out. Tentomon, Gabumon, and Biyomon waited behind embattlements to see who'd make the first move. Until Kazemon gave word that Gryphonmon was flying in, this would be the easy part.

The Gorillamon fired a few shots at the top of the wall, but caused no damage. Still, with Biyomon on the other side of that wall, they unnerved Sora. "How long are we letting them sit out there?"

"There's no point in exposing ourselves to that many Digimon. If they can't get in, they can't bother us," answered Matt. It wasn't a comforting strategy, but it was a sound one. The attackers couldn't fly and the defenders only had three strong Digimon, so waiting for them to create a hole, then plugging it with one of their Megas was the safest option. It did, however, require patience until the enemy picked a spot to target.

Izzy wasn't surprised to see the troops surround the castle and pick at weak points, namely the drawbridge and the section most warped by Tankdramon's bomb. Matt assigned Gabumon to cover the former and Biyomon to cover the latter, flanked by a few of the hunters' Digimon who could had least fire shots outside to be annoying.

Tentomon never came up, even after some Bullmon snuck around to the rear of the castle for an audacious effort to headbutt the one side of wall without a moat. It would take forever to break through, but wasn't it worth acknowledging? It was such a little thing, but it got Izzy wondering. Other than the song at the festival, he didn't catch any signs of Matt being upset with him. Matt also knew better than to carry any personal spats into battle. But this was also Matt. The only thing harder than getting him to move past the matter was getting him to talk about his real feelings about it. It wasn't appropriate, but Izzy could still picture him neglecting to use Tentomon in a fight this manageable.

"Uh oh, I think he saw me," cracked Kazemon's voice over the radio.

"Who? Gryphonmon?" Izzy replied, head already filling with nasty scenarios.

"Yeah. I went deeper into the woods… but now I don't know where he is." She gasped and added, "What was that?"

He waited for more, but nothing came. Had she been caught? Was she forced to go silent to avoid being spotted? He couldn't stand not knowing. Zoe was closer than anyone to the biggest threat and completely at its mercy if it attacked her. She'd already had her share of traumatic experiences in battle, enough that her spirit evolving again was a small miracle. They couldn't let it happen again.

"Stay still. I'm coming for you," Izzy declared, evolving Tentomon.

"What? No you're not," Matt replied over the radio. "You're better off here."

"Someone has to help her, Matt. I'm going." The level of defiance in his voice surprised him, but he couldn't leave her dangling.

"Wait!" He ignored Matt's plea, jumped on Kabuterimon, and flew off, firing a couple electric blasts at the Reppamon below them.

He arrived just as Gryphonmon charged into the woods. "Zoe, he's in. I'll meet you on the other end." Kabuterimon moved into position, but from there all they could do was wait. He couldn't maneuver around the woods the way Kazemon or Gryphonmon could. Inside, leaves rustled, branches, snapped, and they braced themselves for the imminent emergence.

"Izzy!" Kazemon flew out at top speed, landed on Kabuterimon's back and turned human again. Zoe squeezed Izzy from behind, generating a blush he tried hard to repress. "Thanks. That was too close."

"Don't mention it! Now let's get home!" She didn't let go. The prolonged close contact surprised him, but had all too much experience with how tense situations made everyone more familiar.

Besides, he and Kabuterimon still had work to do. Before they could fly away, Gryphonmon crashed through the edge of the woods. "Solo Roar!" He didn't give them time to react before unleashing a loud sound wave to disrupt them and swung around to attack with his tail. Izzy and Zoe screamed. So did Izzy's digivice.

The first evolution to MegaKabuterimon offered enough protection to block the tail attack. The second one caught even Izzy off guard. His partner grew and grew, still with Izzy and Zoe floating atop him, until HerculesKabuterimon appeared, twice Gryphonmon's size and covered in armor.

He wasted no time charging up an attack. "High Mega…"

"Solo Roar!" Gryphonmon got his in faster. For all the giant beetle's armor, he couldn't withstand the painful vibrations in his head. By the time he did, Gryphonmon fled to the castle.

"After him!" Izzy shouted. His partner's Mega form was fast, but not enough to make up that head start.

One of Zoe's arms clutched Izzy tighter as they flew, the other shouted into her D-Tector, "Gryphonmon charging in!" Her second arm swung around Izzy's other side. Izzy was focused enough to ignore the weight on his back, but her loud sigh of relief made him flinch.

Gryphonmon reached the castle before them, but not before Zoe's warning. MetalGarurumon greeted Gryphonmon with an ice breath attack. Both Gryphonmon and HerculesKabuterimon had to dodge it.

Izzy almost smiled; ganging up to eliminate an irritating foe seemed like a strong way to start smoothing over any tension with Matt. He tried to give his partner an order, but his radio blared Matt's voice: "What are you doing? Get to the drawbridge! Now!" With a tone that harsh, Izzy didn't dare defy him again.

"Oh, he's still mad," said Zoe.

When Izzy arrived on the scene, a herd of Sethmon had forced the drawbridge down and crashed through the giant doors, overwhelming the Allomon and ShimaUnimon on the other side. HerculesKabuterimon dropped right in front of them.

"Mega Electro Shocker!" The wide explosion of electricity knocked all of the penetrating Sethmon back. The ones who had been in the moat for whatever reason fried to death.

Izzy helped Zoe off and scurried past the battle to climb the stairs back to the wall. Matt didn't regard them, his full focus on the fight between MetalGarurumon and Gryphonmon. Like last time, it was a grueling stalemate.

On the other side, HerculesKabuterimon had no trouble dealing with the Sethmon. Izzy saw the obvious move and shouted for him. HerculesKabuterimon left the scant few Sethmon for Allomon to mop up and flew over the wall.

As he passed over Izzy and Zoe, a beam of light fell on him from above. His wings stopped fluttering and he fell, the shadow under him growing larger. The same shadow Izzy, Zoe, and Matt were under.

"Look out!" Izzy shouted, already pulling Zoe away. Matt got the message and ran alongside them. All three dove in time to avoid HerculesKabuterimon crashing onto the wall. He tumbled over the embattlements, half of him landing in the moat.

Matt scrambled to the ledge to check on MetalGarurumon. The chaos behind him made him flinch for just a moment, enough for Gryphonmon to take a bite out of his neck. As the wolf howled, Gyphonmon readied himself for more.

"Starlight Explosion!" Hououmon's signature attack rained gold down on the battlefield. Unwilling to challenge the arriving opponent, Gryphonmon again dashed away, along with the remainder of the attacking forces. As they rode off, Dianamon descended from above to enforce their retreat.

"Really getting sick of him," Matt mumbled.

Izzy slipped past Matt to return to the stairs. It didn't work. "Since when did you disobey orders?" Matt spat at him. Izzy gulped, but ignored him and continued on, happy to have an excuse to avoid the confrontation.

Zoe followed. Once they were far enough from Matt, she said, "Izzy? I don't think you can run from this."

"I'm not running. I need to check on Tentomon." He was also running.

"How long can you avoid this? You're roommates."

Izzy avoided answering, rushing across what was left of the drawbridge and around the castle to Tentomon clinging to the bank of the moat, legs kicking in the water. As Izzy pulled him out, the beetle said, "That was a nice nap. What did I miss?"

"Well, Izzy's one step away from getting into a fistfight with Matt," Zoe replied.

"Oh, well in that case, put my money on Matt." He looked up at his partner. "No offense, but he has more experience."

"Izzy could just talk to him about it, but…"

"I know I need to talk to him," Izzy answered. He knew it for a while, but this debacle added urgency. Not that he was in any hurry. With Tentomon safe, he shuffled away, eager to do something productive that wasn't anywhere near Matt.

Behind him, Zoe leaned in and lowered her voice. "You can keep bugging him about it, right?"

"Well I am a bug, so I bet I can manage." Tentomon hovered in mid-air. "Izzy and Matt trying to be open about their feelings… what could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

Angie Hinomoto already struggled with insignificance before her act of gross insubordination. Now, a month later, it was undeniable. What she had said to Tai was completely out of line. She unleashed too much in a careless way, and any hierarchy with a semblance of organization would at least attempt to suppress that sort of disrespect to somebody in command. Even if Tai used Meiko to brush it all off, the act still happened and demanded some sort of reaction. Instead, crickets. After being punished so harshly for an easily defensible error, nobody bothered to care when she actually did something wrong.

She would have welcomed at least an inquiry, for Henry to pull her into a small room and ask why she'd have such an outburst. She could respond honestly, elaborate on it, maybe even sort it out in her own head in the meantime. The judgment and punishment didn't matter: she couldn't possibly be dragged further down. She just wanted someone to acknowledge that she did something, no matter how stupid.

Henry entering the habitat got her hopes up, which was ridiculous. It was far too late to be asking questions now, and who gets their hopes up over being investigated? She was the second to greet him after Terriermon clamped onto him. "What's going on?" she asked, with more nerves escaping than were warranted.

"Is Kenta around?" The first words out of his mouth deflated her. Not only was it not about her, he wasn't even up for idle chatter. She couldn't even help him find Kenta as Terriermon swung his ears to point the way before she could answer.

Kenta joined them anyway, MarineAngemon floating behind him. "Something wrong?"

"No, Catherine says they were talking about their habitat plans with Tai. They want you to go up there sometime and give them some thoughts."

With a chuckle, Kenta replied, "I was wondering when they were gonna ask. Yeah, I'd be happy to."

"I have some thoughts," Angie blurted. She hoped she didn't come off as desperate for involvement as she thought she did.

Henry smiled back, but said, "Great. Get them to Kenta sometime and he'll pass them along." He went straight back to Kenta to set a date.

Angie retreated from the conversation, back into the weeds. The logical part of her brain knew all this made sense. They needed Kenta to provide some expertise and, although she had just as much to contribute, he had seniority on her and somebody would have to stay behind to manage everything. Besides, this was about optimizing the new settlement's habitat, not anyone's personal glory or recognition. Even if taking a trip to offer valuable feedback to eager ears was exactly the kind of boost she needed.

Maybe she just wanted the train ride for a chance at some quiet. The Digimon not only kept her busy, they refused to give her a moment of peace while on duty. Her bout of self-pity would have been more effective if Musimon hadn't decided to entertain everyone with an impromptu freestyle rap. Habitat work was an annoyingly loud kind of solitude for someone without her own Digimon partner.

While staring at the mob scene deafening her moping, MarineAngemon snuck up from behind. "Emo?"

"You know I don't know what the hell you're trying to say." Her eye twitched. "And I don't want Kenta to translate."

"Bye!" The little angel floated away. It never was any good at cheering her up.

Some of that had to be resentment. All these Digimon roamed around, all belonging with somebody. Some pre-ordained partnerships assigned from above, some earned through admiration of hard work or other traits, some outright hunted. None of them were hers. Angie liked to imagine that in some ways all of them were hers. She took care of them, fostered relationships, and preferred certain ones over others. But no matter how much she called them family, she didn't have the one partner. Even someone with an army like Mikey had the one to be in lockstep with, to push him further, to guide him through his trouble. She would never get anything like that.

Angie rarely pulled out her empty Fusion Loader. Compelled by this sudden loneliness, she leaned against a tree to pore through it. Other than token functions like tracking and access control, it was useless. She often wondered why the old clock shop owner bothered giving it to her, despite being so elated to receive it. She scrolled past page after page of empty boxes, holding all the potential for a robust army of Digimon, never to be used.

On the last page, one appeared. The device slipped in her fingers; she almost dropped it. Angie looked around, as if she'd find footprints of a Digimon that somehow popped in without her noticing. It wasn't even a Digimon she recognized: a little blue-and-white puffball with four stubby legs, a little yellow mohawk and tiny spines. Whoever he was, he was adorable. What the hell was he doing here?

"Reload!" There was probably a way to look up his name. Angie couldn't be bothered. The In-Training-level Digimon popped out asleep, opening his eyes slowly but then hopping upright, returning a giant happy smile.

"Hi Angie! I'm Pusurimon!"

* * *

Maki Himekawa hated herself in moments like these more than any other. She knew she was supposed to be relieved all of her teammates' Digimon were alive, pulled out of a snowbank and safe back at the castle to huddle under blankets and lick their wounds. Their partners didn't leave their sides. Maki lingered in the corner, compelled to appear to support the team. The whole time, she chided herself for having the audacity to curse their good fortune. Losing a partner was hell, but had the worst happened, at least she would have had more company and more understanding. As if her inability to overcome her loss wasn't bad enough, her lack of sympathy was another reminder of how broken she was.

The way she understood it, they had the space to themselves. Surrounded by shelves of games and a folded ping pong table, it wasn't a natural recovery area, but it was the easiest to sacrifice until the Digimon were healthy. The swinging door jolted her and a couple of the others. Not Daigo, who left Bearmon's side to acknowledge Takuya and Izzy.

"How's everybody doing?" Izzy asked, stepping inside, Tentomon behind him.

"Everyone's going to be fine," answered Daigo. "It's just…"

"Right, right…" Takuya mumbled, more subdued than the fiery leader everyone was used to. "So how do we do this?"

"Do what?" asked Maki.

"Figure out why they can't evolve all the way. It's kind of a big deal."

She raised an eyebrow. "You can test that?"

"Not as much as I'd prefer." Izzy kneeled in front of Bearmon, set up his laptop, and connected a cable to his patient's paw. "For heavy diagnostics, we'd have to send them back to Joe."

"They've been through enough," said Daigo. "Still, some answers would be nice. It sure felt like something was supposed to happen."

"May I see your digivice?" Daigo handed it over. Izzy paused as he took it. "It worked for me, Matt, and Sora today. It should work the same. It's essentially the same digivice from the same world."

As Izzy connected the digivice to his laptop, Daigo said, "Does it matter how we got the power to digivolve to Mega? It was…" He turned to Maki for a moment. The memory of that day stung them both. "…messy."

"I'd love to hear about it sometime, but the circumstances shouldn't matter."

"Ask Matt and Tai how they got it to work," Tentomon added.

"Although…" Izzy looked up. "Your partners never de-digivolved, did they? They became the Harmonious Ones."

"…and you just know that," Daigo grumbled.

Resuming his computer work, Izzy said, "I wish I knew more. Azulongmon never went that far into his past."

"Is he still an insufferable smartass?" asked Maki, drawing a glare from the would-be Azulongmon's partner. She'd learned to ignore it years ago.

Izzy stared at her, frozen in panic for a moment. Now she worried too. They had gotten too casual about being from different times in the same world. Even so, the length and intensity of his glare suggested something even deeper. He needed a glance at Daigo before mumbling, "Uh, well, we shouldn't get into what you're all like in the future."

"Yeah, yeah, right…" Daigo said, scolding Maki with his eyes as Izzy resumed his work.

Maki tried to look over his shoulder to see the sorts of diagnostics he pored through. It looked like ordinary binary code to her with a couple unlabeled bar charts. The digivice scan produced a bright yellow starburst pattern with little pulses and fluctuations, a living ball of color. Izzy must have found it just as intriguing since he stared at it for a good minute, took another glance at Bearmon's data, and leaned back in his chair.

"What's wrong?" asked Takuya.

"Nothing. Everything looks good. If I plugged in Tentomon it would show the same thing."

"Please don't. It tickles," said Tentomon.

Izzy turned to Daigo. "You and Bearmon have an outstanding bond. There should be no limit to your potential."

Daigo wasn't moved by the plaudit. "But there is."

"It's puzzling, isn't it?"

"This isn't a puzzle, Izzy, it's a problem!" Takuya pounded the wall. "We need them at full power!"

Eyes wide, Izzy stammered. "I wish I had an answer but if it doesn't involve them I don't know what it could be."

"Well it's gotta be something! Maybe their evolution doesn't work in this world. You always said this place makes its own rules."

"It does, but one of them seems to be that we can do whatever we want when it comes to digivolution." Izzy paused to calm himself down. "Takuya, after you stopped Lucemon, you and your spirit were separated, right?"

Takuya looked around the room at everyone's eyes on him, not ready for such a redirection. "Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"

"We were all reunited with our Digimon, but our Digimon are living beings. Bringing them in should be easy for Rhythm. But she somehow made sure you had all your spirits, which were presumably dormant somewhere in a reformatted world."

"Reformatted?" Maki raised an eyebrow at Takuya.

He waved her off. "Don't ask."

Izzy continued, "When you think about it, it's quite incredible that you can spirit evolve here. In some ways it defies logic. And it's not the only example. I'm not sure Armor digivolution should be possible here. I'm not sure DNA digivolution should be possible here. And Mikey's team doesn't have the same restrictions on digifuse that they had when they fought Quartzmon."

"Well of course we can do all this stuff. Rhythm said she pulled us in here so we can fight for her. Of course she'd make sure we're at full power."

Izzy gestured at Daigo's team. "So why aren't they?"

Bearmon let out a moan. "Even if we could digivolve, we aren't at full power without Tapirmon."

Maki sunk lower. This was depressing enough already. Daigo could exhaust her at times but she still wanted the best for him. He deserved better than the frustration on his face and the troubles that always followed him. Whatever was going on, they shared a look of mutual exasperation and anger at their collective bad luck. Why was it always them?

Tapirmon's name coming up only solidified the misery. Aside from irritating her persistent rash, his death and their missing Mega forms happened at the same time, creating a sturdy link between the two, all going back to that horrible day. Only one element was missing. As Maki dwelled on it, her thoughts faded away, an eerie reminder of the sensation of Homeostasis taking control. The memory occupied her so much she failed to register that it was actually happening again.

Now in control, Rhythm began her establishing mantra: "I am the master of creation and destruction, of heaven and earth, of life and death, of light and darkness."

Everyone stared back in shock. "Well speak of the devil," said Takuya.

"I can go through her too! Excellent!" Rhythm chirped.

"And why is that…?" asked Izzy.

"Little loophole for deities. I can channel anyone Homeostasis did."

"Anyone Homeo…" In shock, Izzy turned to Daigo, but his angry glare refused to turn away from the soul borrowing his teammate.

With a deep breath and less confidence, Rhythm said, "All right, so… here's the thing about the Harmonious Ones…"

"Stop it," growled Daigo. "She's been through enough." He rose from Bearmon's side and marched towards her. "We've been through enough!" He threw his hands on her shoulders. "How much are you going to put us through before you leave us alone?!"

Maki last remembered thinking about Tapirmon, but awoke to register Daigo shaking her shoulders and another passenger in her head. Or maybe she had taken the wheel. Either way, Maki didn't want her there and demanded control. Rhythm's surrender came easier than expected. Maki regained control, groggy but conscious.

"What was that?"

Daigo shook his head, sneering as he pulled her into an embrace. "It doesn't matter which world we're in. Doesn't matter who's in charge. We're just their playthings, aren't we?" She clutched him back. As confused as she was by the sudden fury, the words and the passion echoed what she'd felt for the last six years.

Izzy grimaced. "I can understand getting upset by Rhythm taking control of her… but I'm pretty sure she was about to explain why your team can't digivolve properly."

"It doesn't matter," Daigo spat. "We can't do it and she had a reason. I don't care what it was." He sulked for a moment, then pulled away from Maki, staring at her, tears in his eyes. "I'm done taking this lying down." He jerked her away. "Come on."

He led her out of the room, out of the keep, and out of the whole castle. Maki stumbled along. She didn't appreciate him dragging her outside, but it was so unlike him she needed to see where it led. His anger usually led to frustration. Now he was decisive, burning cool when the flames usually petered out.

Outside and around the corner, he stopped and took her other hand. "You know I've always doubted your dreams of bringing Tapirmon back." She wasn't as surprised by his confession as she should have been. With a face as steely as his now, she could believe anything he had to say. "I still don't know if there's anything we can do for him. But they've put us through too much. We have to do something, right?"

"Y-yeah…" she mumbled. A blush formed on her cheeks. Whatever he was building to, she was dying to see it. "But what?"

Daigo patted the ground for the hidden latch to lead them down. The secret underground lab lit her eyes up even before he pulled the door open. The monitors on the desks, the papers littered everywhere, and the pile of chrome widgets on the table were straight out of a fantasy. Even without knowing what it was for, it already blew past her expectations.

At the table, Rei narrowed his eyes at the intruders but didn't say anything. In the corner, Haru looked up from his book. Any trace of panic vanished. "Daigo! You… brought Maki."

"What is this?" Maki asked.

Daigo's expression hadn't changed. "They're recreating Haru's dead friend."

"With… robotics?"

Haru nodded, glancing at the hardcover in his hands before setting it on a desk. "Trying to. Running into a bit of a roadblock. But we're not giving up."

"How did you put all this together?"

Rei leaned back. "We found a way."

"We can access the river network. Tagiru helps run interference," added Haru.

"So how can we help?" Daigo asked, drawing surprised looks from everybody.

"Sudden change of heart?" asked Rei.

Daigo's face didn't waver, but his hands shook. "Ever since we became digidestined, we've had stuff taken from us. Homeostasis took Tapirmon. The Digital World took our partners." He sighed. "The whole thing took Himmy." Maki shuddered at her pet name and the phrasing, but the rest struck deep. She could never have worded it like that. She could never imagine him seeing their lives like that.

"Now this Rhythm took our partner's Mega forms," Daigo continued, gritting his teeth. "I just need to… take something back." After just a second of pondering, Rei returned an understanding nod.

"So… recreating a friend…" Maki said, dragging a hand across a desktop tower

Haru's kind yet sympathetic smile gave her the answer before he even said it: "I wish I could say we can bring your buddy back. And maybe we can. But without his memories of you… trust us, you don't want that."

The last part at least caught her off guard. "I…" She turned to Daigo. In all of her fantastical schemes, she had never considered that. Yet it was the crux of everything. "Yeah, I guess that wouldn't work."

"Thankfully I can restore that part of Yuujin. And I'm sure you can help us."

Maki looked around again. Something about all the monitors, robotics, and unidentifiable future tech made her at home. The air of rebellion put her at ease. Even if it wasn't for Tapirmon, she wanted to be here. Enough that tears fell.

"If us not being able to help your partner is a deal-breaker, we won't keep you," said Rei.

"No…" she sniffed, turning to all three boys one at a time. "I want to help. This… this is wonderful. I was never the same after it happened, and I always dreamed there would be a way, even though…" She chuckled. "That's silly right? But you're doing it. You're actually doing it. This…" She sniffed again, the tears harder to control. "It's the first time I've ever thought having these dreams wasn't silly." Maki turned to Haru. His smile broadened. "You make me feel like I'm not crazy."

Haru stood up, moving towards her with slow, purposeful steps. He placed his hands on her shoulders, that welcoming smile still beaming. With the slightest shake of the head, he said, "Maki… of course you aren't crazy."

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 13:** **"All New"**  
Takuya's increased paranoia strains his relationship with Sora. Izzy's attempt to settle things with Matt leads him to reach a stunning conclusion. Davis gets a surprise visitor in the middle of the night.

" _If you have control it means you can make more mistakes."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

The idea that Kumamon can reach out to Tommy's D-Tector even when it's with Takuya just seemed like a fun application of the human-spirit dynamic. It won't have any bearing on the story and probably deserves to be explored more thoroughly elsewhere.

Mikey saying Takuya was there last time he was shot refers to the last battle of Hunters when Astamon took out Mikey to prevent him from powering the Brave Snatcher. Whether that constitutes being shot is debatable, but it sure felt like it.

Usually I try to put breaks between action sequences of a chapter to allow a bit of cooldown. Given the heightened intensity and the strain the battle puts on Daigo and Tagiru, barreling straight through them all at once seemed like the best way to wear you down in similar fashion.

The unnamed original digidestined is right in that's it's the Hague Convention rather than the Geneva Convention codifying that an army can't kill or wound an surrendering enemy. What is in the Geneva Convention is a code that says feigning a surrender to get in a sneak attack is a war crime. Ravemon's a naughty boy.

Zoe's history of traumatic experiences came up a few times in Neverworld.

Pusurimon is the In-Training level of the main partner Digimon in Rearise. This would have been more of a deeper cut Digimon when I wrote that scene than now, since Rearise just came out internationally.

This chapter has a scene that was deleted for space! I'll post that little bit of Meichi fluff on my Tumblr soon!


	13. All New

**Nexusworld**

 _So I opened up. Might not be new for most of you but listen up._  
 _Some of us are more repressed than others._  
 _And we try_ _… experiment from time to time._  
 _I thought I_ _'d dream of being dreamed of, thought I'd pine… for a time._  
 _\- Marian Call,_ _"All New (Heart Shut Tight)"_

 **Episode 13**

Joe Kido spent most free afternoons wishing for a distraction. Without one, he had to spend the time studying medical procedures far beyond his level of understanding. There was no such thing as a "Surgery for Dummies" book and he didn't have a way to practice for real, so he was stuck trying to retain everything in his head. Early results weren't good, and he was happy for anything to take his mind off them.

When it came, he wasn't surprised to see Kenta and Angie. As habitat caretakers, they were always running afoul of stray Digimon attacks, claws, or just the wild nature of their workspace. "What do you got today?" he asked.

Kenta stared at Angie until she sighed and said, "Uh… well… look, don't freak out, okay?" To which Joe began to freak out, confining it to his own head and pretending to be stoic.

"Angie has a new Digimon," Kenta blurted. She grumbled and lowered her head.

"Like a stray?" Joe almost calmed down. That… probably wasn't something to freak out over? A small Digimon sneaking onto the property was feasible enough. That didn't automatically make it a threat. Not that he wouldn't exert an over-abundant amount of caution.

"Well… I'm not sure." Angie held out her Fusion Loader. "Reload- Pusurimon!" The spiny puffer emerged on a table, smiling and wagging its non-existent tail. Joe hadn't seen this Digimon before, but it was adorable enough to melt his defenses further.

"Looks cute. How did you find him?

"He just appeared in my Fusion Loader. Is that weird?"

"Extremely!" Joe nodded along, happy to feed his inclination for worry. "And you want to keep him?"

Worry framed her eyebrows. "Is that a problem?"

"Uh… let's run some tests."

She extended her arms out at Pusurimon. "Okay, come on." It grinned and did a little half-leap that didn't take it anywhere. She gathered it up anyway and followed Joe to an exam room.

Joe couldn't hide his trepidation. This was the sort of help he enjoyed providing, but his inclination was to be nervous, his priority the security of the castle over anyone's happiness. A random Digimon popping in out of nowhere could be corrupted or infected, or even some sort of Trojan horse scheme meant to bring them down from inside. The more he considered the possibilities, the more pressure he felt to find something in his examination and let Angie down easy before anyone got hurt.

Despite being extra thorough testing Pusurimon, he found nothing. No trace of corruption, no abnormal data, no reaction to its immunizations, and nothing to indicate it was anything other than a young, happy Digimon who stumbled into a new home. It couldn't be that simple. It didn't work that way.

Setting Pusurimon on an exam table, Joe asked, "Do you remember how you got in Angie's Fusion Loader?"

"Nope! One day I woke up and there I was!" It's cheery voice masked a troubling answer.

"How long were you in there?"

"I don't know! But I was hoping she'd find me soon! It was getting lonely in there!"

"Did you try getting out on your own?"

Pusurimon gasped. "I can do that?"

"Uh, no!" Joe blurted. "Uh… it's very dangerous to try! You could get hurt!"

With a sad whimper, Pusurimon accepted the lie. "Okay, I want to be good for Angie!"

Joe hated having to interrogate such an innocent-looking creature, but the circumstances were too bizarre to be careless. "Where did you live before?"

"Um… I don't know! I never saw outside until Angie let me out."

Yes, this was definitely suspicious. He was going to have to confer with the officers. They needed to see this for themselves.

"How much more to do you need to do?" asked Angie, hands on her hips.

Joe shrugged. "Well, everything checks out testing-wise." Pusurimon flopped back to Angie, both smiling. "But I'll have to talk to Command to make sure they're okay with it. We have to be careful. Digimon don't just pop up out of nowhere for us."

"They don't?" asked Kenta, eyes straying to his D-Power.

"Not years after getting a digivice in a different world. That's… very random."

Holding Pusurimon in her arms, Angie glowered at Joe. "But there's nothing wrong with him. He's healthy, he follows our instructions, is there any reason he can't be my partner?"

Joe still had doubts, but her smile wore him down. With no evidence, disappointing her was as bad an ending as any damage Pusurimon could do. "Can you keep it in your Fusion Loader when you can't keep an eye on it? And I'll want to check on it again soon to see if it's close to digivolving."

"It might digivolve?!"

"That's usually what happens. It doesn't take a lot at this level."

She brought it in for a hug. "And we need to form a good bond for that, I suppose." Joe nodded. "Well, we should get right to work on that!"

"Yep! Let's be best friends!" chirped Pusurimon.

The instant connection warmed Joe's heart. He forgot just how powerful that first moment could be, probably because he didn't have the best reaction to Bukamon. He hadn't seen Angie this happy in a long time, and hoped Pusurimon could keep it going. He had to try convincing himself this was some benevolent miracle that would happen to lift the spirits of someone who needed it. Because everything else suggested Pusurimon, despite how it looked, acted, and tested, was incredibly dangerous.

* * *

Henry Wong wondered if he was the only one upstairs keeping busy. In addition to supervising operations, heading up research had been a key part of his position since Izzy originated it years ago. Izzy took that side of it more seriously, venturing out and gathering data on the Digital World in hopes of understanding it better. When Henry took over, he allowed Izzy to form a team to continue making discoveries, but the officer himself didn't do as much. Henry was all for knowledge and understanding the world, but most of its secrets had been revealed. Hunting down what little there was left to discover never seemed worth it.

Izzy's team activating and accessing the Digital World's network changed all of that. Now Henry had the whole world at his desk. Even better, as it was a static collage of different worlds and different time periods, that meant all sorts of snarls and dead-ends and broken functions that could improve functionality if mended. This was productive, easy enough for him, and could be done in his spare time without cutting into the job's daily demands. He threw himself at tasks like a working email server and a sharable, editable database of the world's Digimon and Appmon.

Davis, Thomas, and Kari were all zombies in front of their screen. They were probably using the internet as well, just for less productive purposes. Henry didn't pay attention to them, busy deciding whether to use existing servers to host services or to install a new one at the new settlement since it was more centralized.

Out of nowhere, Davis asked, "Hey Henry, you got a middle name?"

"Excuse me?" He looked over at Davis's screen; his own name was in a search box.

"Henry Wong's a really common name. I didn't know that!"

"Are you looking me up on the internet?!" Henry cried.

Davis turned to him and shrugged. "What, you know our futures! Why can't we know yours?"

Henry groaned. He wanted to write it off as Davis being Davis, but a twisting discomfort inside him took hold. Even dating back to their arrival here, their human world lives made for popular smalltalk. He didn't like to talk about it, much less consider where it would have ended up.

"It doesn't work that way. Anything in there about me would be from when we got pulled in here." He'd done enough testing to confirm this, much to his relief. In fact, relying on a cartoon in his world to forecast the futures of all the digidestined was probably tenuous at best, but Davis and Kari quite liked their fates so Henry never shared his doubts out loud.

Despite Davis's disappointment, he persisted. "Well, help me find you when you left. You don't talk about it ever."

There was a reason for that. One he promised himself he would never be forced to answer. "To be honest, there's some things I don't like to talk about. Things I'm not proud of. I don't know if you'd find anything, but I'd feel better to know you weren't looking." Davis's smile disappeared and he turned to the tamer with a look of concern. "That, uh… same goes for Takato, actually. You might say we, uh, escaped from something when we ended up here."

Davis's lack of response worried him. Maybe that alone was a bombshell. Maybe he was just unhappy Henry ruined his fun. Either way, steering him another direction was the best move.

Henry sighed and said, "Look Rika up. You won't be disappointed." Davis's face brightened in an instant and he returned to his terminal.

So did Henry, but he couldn't shake off the fear. If Davis was curious about his past, who was to say no one else would be? He had to know if the gory details existed. Checking to make sure nobody had a stray eye on his monitor, he opened a private browser and typed in a website. He still had the URL memorized: his school's domain, then his username, then the folder name "~yaddith." His stalling fingers almost refused to let him hit enter.

To his horror, both the code and the execution file still existed. He scrolled through the lines, tears pooling as he remembered the anger and desperation that birthed them. Was he comfortable with the consequences if he had broken down enough to actually execute the program? Did he lose count of how many times Takato or Rika had yelled at him to suck it up and just pull the trigger? Could he fathom how long he had spent with his finger frozen over his mouse, two clicks away from unleashing this hell? Yaddith became a self-made torture device. This world freed Henry from it. Yet there it was, staring back at him, powerless to tempt him but haunting him all the same.

The printer next to him buzzed to life, kicking Henry's reflexes into gear to close the window. Just not looking at it anymore relieved him. He glanced at the page the printer had spit out, winced, and took it: a professional photo of Rika from her (extremely brief) modeling career. She wore a skin-tight biker's outfit—in a pose to show off every feature—and a face of raw menace.

Henry looked over his shoulder at Davis, who snatched the picture and grinned. "Present for Ken."

"You know, she will kill you if she catches you with that."

Davis only nodded, admiring the photo. "She does look pretty pissed."

"That's not for the camera. She hated modeling."

A second printout emerged. Davis got to it first: a copy of the same picture. Henry's glare deepened, but so did Davis's smile. "In case he loses the first one," he explained.

* * *

Izzy Izumi was both relieved and terrified when Matt didn't sleep in their room after the attack. On one hand, it was a convenient way to stall the inevitable conversation both needed to have but neither wanted. Then again, it reinforced just how angry Matt was if he couldn't be alone in the same room. It made Izzy dread the confrontation even more.

He'd seen Matt's simmering fury plenty of times. Blowups at Tai had been perennial occurrences, so frequent Izzy always tuned out of them quickly, as much out of tedium as his discomfort with heated emotion. But he'd also lashed out at Joe in the past, and in the pre-castle days even Mimi and Kari had been singed. His blowups at Sora were especially hard to watch. He reserved a more gentle hand for his disagreements with TK, but even then they were easy to spot. Until now, Izzy couldn't recall a single moment when Matt was angry with him.

That wasn't reassuring. Deficient as he was at reading people, he knew this was a sign that Matt cared about somebody. Matt's love for his team was undeniable, and he didn't hold back when arguments tested those bonds. Izzy knew Matt disagreed with the likes of Takuya and Koji and Mikey before. Only when it seriously threatened Gabumon or the castle in general did the heat come out. Otherwise it was either a muted counter-argument or Matt didn't even bother expressing it. As concerned as Izzy was about Matt being upset, he also worried their row fit more in this category. As sharp as Matt's words were on the stage and defending the castle, he could have unleashed so much worse.

There would be no stalling the next night. With Tentomon and Gabumon asleep in their corners, Matt returned to his usual routine of sitting in bed, notebook and pencil in his lap, probing his mind for grievances to turn into song lyrics. Izzy wondered which night was the one where Matt unloaded on him while he was across the room. He didn't want to interrupt and didn't know the best way to do it. Frozen with fear and uncertainty, he stared instead.

"What do you want?" asked Matt, glaring past his notebook to his bed.

The annoyed tone spooked Izzy further. "Um… well…" He took a deep breath. "You seem to be mad at me?"

Matt looked up, but not at him. He sneered for a moment, but shook his head. "If you're talking about yesterday during the attack, don't worry about it."

"I'd just like to clear the air. You seemed to criticize everything I did."

Finally, Matt turned to him, voice sharper: "That's because everything you did was stupid. I expected better from you."

Izzy raised his voice in kind. "I wasn't going to strand Zoe like that!" He calmed himself enough to add, "You weren't here when she had her-"

"I wasn't going to strand her! Me or Sora should have gone after her. MetalGarurumon's fought Gryphonmon before and Hououmon would be a good match against it. HerculesKabuterimon is better off defending."

After a few false starts, Izzy processed the criticism. He was no battle tactician, but it was all quite reasonable. Did Matt really do all that calculus in the moment? Either way, Izzy didn't expect logic to play a role here. He welcomed it.

"So just do what you're told in a fight and we're all good," Matt concluded. Izzy still sensed some edge there.

"Are you sure? You, um… aren't bothered by the situation with Nene?" He braced himself for the response.

"Oh, that? Nah." Matt returned to his notebook.

Squirming on his bed, Izzy prodded. "You're sure? I know Nene told you about it. I just…" With a huff, he launched into the part he'd rehearsed: "I know how you feel about her, and I don't want to let what happen imply-"

"Izzy, jeez!" Matt interrupted, looking up but again refusing eye contact. "I told you, it's nothing! She's just unpredictable like that. The sooner we all forget about it, the better."

This was exhausting. As much as Izzy wanted to take it at face value and bury the whole thing, he could sense Matt's struggle. More than that, he had evidence of the contrary. "Pardon me if I interpreted it wrong, but it sounded like you wrote a whole song about it."

Matt froze, panic crossing his face for the first time. He exhaled the tension away. First he blinked, then he smirked, then he let out a long chuckle. A broader, kinder smile grew as he turned to Izzy. "Hey, it seemed like a good idea for a song. Sorry if that scared you."

The confession, paired with sudden warmth, scared Izzy almost as much. "That was just… you didn't mean it?"

"If there were really any feelings there I'm sure I would have meant it. But come on, I know you better than that."

Izzy wondered how his history meant Matt knew he _wouldn_ _'t_ be interested in a pretty girl in pink, but he didn't detect a lie. Matt could bottle emotions in the most durable of glass, but he didn't lie about them. This was confusing, different, but more than anything relieving. There was a lot he didn't understand, but he was now willing to accept it as true.

With a contented sigh, he said, "That's good to hear. I sort of… yes, I guess I was scared. I'm glad we could clear that up."

"Don't worry, if I was really pissed at you, you'd know it."

They both settled back into their beds. Matt looked at his notebook again, then set it on his nightstand. Izzy cast another relieved sigh. He had survived the ordeal and could move on.

Matt snickered again. "Besides, I know who you're really interested in."

* * *

Takuya Kanbara stared up at Marsmon as the flames spread around them, the only light cast on the surrounding carnage. The crackling fire and the chorus of pained screams masked the location of Darkdramon's laser fire. He had lost track of who was already gone, or if anybody would be able to help him. As far as he knew, he was the only survivor.

He couldn't give up. Whether or not there was a castle left to fight for and whether or not he had any allies to fight with, he could never live with himself if he ran now. The enemy had to pay for this. "Unity Execute! Unified Spirit Evolution!" he cried, praying EmperorGreymon would be enough to topple the representation of a Roman god.

Despite the spirits swirling within him, Takuya didn't transform. He lunged after Marsmon anyway, who launched him backward with the tip of his boot. Takuya crashed on the edge of the fire, close enough to burn most humans.

Defying natural law, he stood up, flicking a stray flame off his wrist. He marched after Marsmon again. If everyone else was fated to die, Takuya was going down fighting. Despite being human, Takuya mimicked unsheathing EmperorGreymon's sword, holding it out and preparing to charge.

Another scream put an end to that as Takuya recognized the voice. Koji's body hurled through the flame, landing in front of Takuya, lifeless. After glaring at Marsmon, Takuya fell to his knees, rubbing Koji's shoulder as if it would somehow heal him. Instead the charred welding of clothing and skin rubbed off on his hand. He closed his eyes, demanding he put the loss beside him and finish the job.

Yet again, evolution failed him. He could muster all the energy and willpower and fire that propelled him in the past, but the end result eluded him. The dying screams of evolved partners surrounded him, Digimon ready to fight and die for their companions, futile as it might be. Whatever the problem was, it was with Takuya alone. He couldn't face this reality. He refused to be helpless. He lunged again; again he was rebuffed. Marsmon picked him up and threw him into the ground.

This time, his body refused to get up under orders. Everything ached, nothing worked. But he couldn't quit. If they were destined to defeat, destined to suffer irreversible casualties and a collapse of the castle Takuya worked so hard to establish, he refused to cower quietly and survive with only his shame.

"Starlight Explosion!" The attack from Hououmon came from the flames behind Takuya, surging through and knocking Marsmon back. The phoenix flew through the fire, Sora on her back. They hovered in midair, defiance in their eyes, another attack at the ready.

Marsmon recovered too quickly, his whole body aflame. He charged at Hououmon and unleashed a series of frightening punches, so fast they blurred reality, making it hard to see and even harder to react. He leaped into the air. "Corona Sanctions!" he boomed as the assault climaxed with a fiery explosion.

When it subsided, Takuya saw only a digiegg and Sora's disintegrating body.

"Sora!" He couldn't move, but he could still scream. "No! Sora!" His legs budged a little, one arm let him feebly reach for her. Maybe shouting her name would will him back to action. It was all he could do to keep from total collapse.

Even as Marsmon turned his way again, he kept crying, "Sora! Sora!" His shoulder jerked back and forth. He didn't know what caused it, but didn't care.

"Takuya?" He did care when Sora's voice echoed behind him. As he turned, everything around him shifted, the fires disappearing and denying him their light. A distinct shadow appeared in front of him, still clasping his shoulder. "Takuya, wake up." Sora's features filled out the shadow. Their bed took shape after her. The room was quiet and cold; he shivered from the sweat on his head and chest and considered throwing on a shirt.

Once he settled back into reality, Sora asked, "Another nightmare?"

"Another?" Takuya couldn't deny unwinnable fights had gotten regular play in his head at night. "You knew?"

She nodded. Her shoulder rub was more gentle now.

"Why'd you wake me up this time?"

"If you're going to have those dreams, please keep me out of them," she huffed.

He flashed a smile. "But the good kinds are okay, right?"

Biting her lip, her hand moved from the shoulder to the side of his face. "Takuya, are you sure you're okay?"

The tone made Takuya bristle. The general concept of having Sora worry about him was appealing and exciting. He liked it far less when she worried about what was going on in his head. If everything in there was as terrifying as his nightmares, he wasn't about to explore, much less invite someone else in.

Forcing a chuckle, he replied, "What, who doesn't have a bad dream from time to time? Especially here."

Sora didn't budge. "You know, if you're worried about everything, you can talk to me, right?"

"What's there to worry about?!" Now he wasn't even fooling himself.

It especially didn't work on Sora. "Everything," she said after a blink. His smile wavered. His whole facade did. She pulled him closer, both hands around him now. "It's okay that the attack didn't go well. We can regroup. We can figure this out."

Takuya tried to slink away from her grip. "W-who says it didn't go well? We drove them out of that camp. Koji and I scared off the big guys! That was…" All the rationalizations he practiced in his head poured out, but he grasped for more.

Her eyes widened. "Mikey was shot. Tagiru broke his ribs. Mr. Nishijima's team is lucky to be alive! And it opened up the castle to another attack."

"You really call Daigo 'Mr. Nishijima?'"

That earned him a glare. A face like hers could have said worse, and imagining it had him wishing he was back with Marsmon. Either her kind heart prevailed or she read something on him, because she exhaled and said, "The important thing is keeping us safe. You can't put us all in danger just to get a leg up on them."

His fear didn't subside. How else was he supposed to seize the advantage? He wasn't inclined to play defense, and Tankdramon's power from a distance made hiding a risky venture. He hated having to think about all this when he was supposed to be asleep. "Do we have to talk about this right now?"

Sora closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "I guess not. But I'm worried about you. Do you think you might be in over your head?"

"What do you mean?!" he cried, struggling to control his breathing. "No, no, we'll be fine. C'mon, be more supportive!"

"That's what I'm trying to do! But I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong!"

"Who says anything's wrong?! You just gotta believe me. I'll get us out of this." He repeated that in his head until his breathing calmed and he could settle back into his pillow.

An arm snaked its way around his neck to find his shoulder and pull him closer to Sora. She was almost as soft as the pillow and twice as comforting. "Takuya," she said in the soothing voice he had been waiting for. "You know I'm here. For anything."

This was what he wanted. This was where he'd find his peace. He rolled enough to see her face when he lifted his head. "Anything?" She needed to see his smile.

It didn't make her giggle the way he expected. He hadn't realized how sad she looked. "Are you serious?"

"Well, I'm not falling asleep any time soon."

Her expression didn't change, but eventually the nod came, slight and cold as it was. All the same, Takuya nuzzled into her neck, taking in her scent before attacking it with a prolonged kiss. Already his spirits lifted, and he knew they'd rise further once he heard Sora's contented sigh.

When it didn't come, he imagined it.

* * *

Davis Motomiya fell asleep with the simplest thoughts in his head. What was for dinner tomorrow? What sort of mischief could he and Veemon dish out? Could he get away with enlarging that spread of Rika and mounting it on his wall? Bad dreams didn't suit him.

Thanks to his deep, peaceful sleep, the banging on his door didn't wake him up. Instead, the follow-up call did: "Davis? Davis, can you open the door?" Kari's voice wasn't louder, but it was more effective.

At the same time, Kari waking him up in the middle of the night couldn't have meant anything good. He rolled out of bed and debated changing out of his pajamas before deciding against it and opening the door. She wore hers, head down, eyes fixed to the floor.

His hand found her shoulder. "Kari, what's wrong?"

"May I come in?"

"Uh… yeah, of course." He ushered her through, checking for onlookers before shutting the door behind them.

Kari sat on the bed, playing with her fingers, eyes still down. Davis considered joining her but the uncertainty and worry over all of this froze him. "So what's up?"

"She wants to talk to you."

"Who wants to… wait, Rhythm?" His excitement grew, especially when Kari nodded back. Her lack of enthusiasm was understandable. It was his own reaction he didn't get. "H-hey, she wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't important."

"I don't think it is." Kari scratched her shoulder. "If it was important, she wouldn't ask first."

"I mean you can always say no."

"To a god? She's pretty persistent." She took a deep breath. "Okay, here it comes…"

Davis turned away as Rhythm took over. Differentiating between Kari and Rhythm was easy, but watching one become the other blurred the distinction. He waited until Rhythm declared, "I am the master of creation and destruction, of heaven and earth, of life and death, of light and darkness."

He spun back around, smiling, "Good evening. Wait, good morning?" From that side of the bed, he couldn't see the time display on his D3. "What time is it anyway?"

"Oh… uh… I don't really pay attention to time. I couldn't even tell you what month it is!"

"Right! Because you're, like, immortal and stuff!" Davis pointed at her, laughing. With Rhythm incapable of facial expression, he calmed down fast. "Uh… it's June."

"Thanks for taking the time. It's really sweet of you."

Despite himself, he blushed. "Hey, Kari's the one to thank!"

After a pause, she replied, "Yeah… that's true. She's a lot more accommodating than Maki."

"Maki?! You tried to get into Maki?!"

Rhythm looked away. Even after Davis's snickering subsided, she didn't turn back. "I guess I can't blame her. There's still a lot of darkness in there."

"Yeah, I should know. Why'd you try it?"

She stared ahead, silent for a minute, impossible to read. By the time she spoke, Davis had almost forgotten it was about Maki. "This world… do you think we did okay?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's easy to picture a perfect world. It's harder when you have to put it together one piece at a time. All the little decisions we make on the spot that all end up having to work together. Does it all fit? Does it make sense? Algomon and I can only influence our halves, and we definitely don't agree on very much. It can't all be perfect."

When Davis thought about deities, he imagined omniscience should have brought a definitive certainty. If a degree of omnipotence was part of the package, that seemed important. She was capable of perceiving the entire world as a whole and watched it grow like a potted flower. Yet she could still question both its beauty and her ability to create. The sadness and doubt in her voice—Kari's voice—didn't strike him as godly at all. For all the talk of creating worlds, it sounded human.

At first, Davis was too awed to respond. He was even a little giddy; getting anyone to share their vulnerabilities took a degree of trust and comfort. She was a god sharing hers with an idiot mortal like him. He was honored, even if it meant she counted on him to have a supportive response.

"Hey, I don't know if everything fits right, but I like it here just fine." He paused. Supportive came easy for him. It was the details he needed to put thought into. "It's… I don't know, it's nice to have some control over things. It's hard to get that back home."

He had to suffer through another long pause before she replied, "But if you have control it means you can make more mistakes. Don't you wonder about what you could have done better? Like maybe you made the wrong choice somewhere?"

"Honestly? Not really." He didn't hesitate in his response, blurting it out in such a hurry she turned her way. Even with eyes so emotionless, the simple gesture pushed him to keep going. "Because I bet I messed up a lot. If I had to go back and think about all those times… man, I'd get stuck!"

"So… just carry on, huh?"

"Yeah!" His grin widened. "I mean do your best but… you know, if you thought you screwed something up… we're fine! Don't sweat it!"

At least for this pause, they could stare at each other. Davis couldn't see through those eyes, couldn't be sure what she was thinking. But he had always been a good guesser at that sort of thing. And he could imagine a lonely existence, one racked with uncertainty, able to blow a world into motion and stuck observing whether it thrives or collapses. In his mind, Rhythm appreciated the support. He needed to offer as much as he could.

"Would it be all right if I dropped in from time to time?" asked Rhythm. The pressure of divinity faded. This sounded more child-like. "It's nice getting to talk to someone for a change."

"Sure!" His quick answer was from his true self, the excitable one happy to confirm a cool new friend. It took a while for his head to catch up and remind him of reality. He didn't know what sort of toll this had on Kari. At the very least it ruined her sleep schedule. Consenting to more possessions wasn't the most loyal thing to do to one of his best friends. But his subconscious made it clear. He wanted to see Rhythm again. He wanted to support Rhythm again. He wanted Rhythm to be able to rely on him.

Still, he added, "I mean… you know, if Kari's okay with it and all."

"Of course."

Davis turned away and looked up at the ceiling, the big smile back on. He had befriended a god. In a more casual tone, pushing past the usual god-mortal boundary, he asked, "But seriously, why Maki?"

When he turned back to her, Kari's eyes had returned and slid shut. She fell forward and would have ended up on the floor if Davis hadn't caught her. Naturally, she was out cold.

"Uh…" He pushed her back onto a pillow. With a shrug and a deep breath, he pulled her legs onto the bed in as close as he could to a natural sleeping position. Not perfectly parallel to the edge but close enough that he didn't need to touch her again.

It also offered enough room for him. That may not have been the most gentlemanly option, but there were no others offering any comfort for him. He rounded the bed to the other side, peeled back the covers, careful enough to avoid rousing her, and slid under them. This would demand an awkward explanation in the morning, but, true to his advice, he didn't dwell on past mistakes. He fell asleep not worried about Kari, but filled with thoughts about Rhythm.

* * *

Ryouma Mogami didn't bother shouting at anyone standing in his way. He pushed a large dolly stacked with boxes from the latest river shipment and reckoned it would run them over with ease. For someone in charge of the castle's upkeep and stocking the essentials, he was generally indifferent to everybody's well-being. He had standards of tidiness and organization and the demand to meet them fueled his day. He found ways to tolerate everyone making messes then begging for more scraps.

That disregard for life probably drew Psychemon to him in the first place. They made the hunt into a game, and the old man with the clocks encouraged everyone to treat it like one. The rulebook created boundaries and limitations that should have been frivolous if digiquartz was really being overrun. Maybe it's why it appealed to Ryouma: he enjoyed the glory of winning more than the satisfaction of helping. Astamon's betrayal stunned him only by the embarrassment of his Digimon playing him for a fool. The ramifications of ruining the big plan and the serious threat to all of reality? Ryouma didn't care.

So why was he expected to care about the other people in the castle? The upkeep he managed was for his satisfaction, exerting some illusion of power he neither had nor deserved. He had little concern for the war around them. If he felt anything, it was a smidgen of disappointment that so many hunters were green and ineffective, dulling the shine on the trophy he had beaten them to six years ago. He wasn't sure he'd register any of them living or dying. He certainly didn't with Yushima. Even his own self-preservation instincts weren't sharp enough for this life. How many times did Koji have to intervene to keep him alive during the initial salvo?

"Hey Ryouma!" As he pushed along, Ren ran up behind him. "Those fumes from the train are making me nauseous, so Dracmon's pulling off all the other boxes so it can get out of here." He smirked. "Thank me later."

"I have everything we ordered." Ryouma looked down at his dolly. "Twelve boxes accounted for."

"So what about all the rest on there?"

"The ones without labels? Not my problem." A couple unlabeled boxes was a common occurrence, but they were sorted away from everything else and easy enough to ignore. Before Cerealia he thought about asking Jeri about them. Had he cared more he might have followed through.

"You're turning down free stuff?" Ren frowned in disappointment. "Come on! At least let's see what's in there."

With a bored shrug, Ryouma followed. He snuck extra personal items into his orders regularly so he saw little value in looting the surplus, especially since it was almost certainly food staples or cleaning supplies or other common replenishables. But exploring it with Ren killed time and if there was something strange going on, he could use the situation to curry favor with somebody.

Alas, outside the gate, they found no boxes and Dracmon scrambling in the moat. "What the-" Ren fished him out. Ryouma sat on the drawbridge and smirked. This adventure already amused him more than expected.

"Where'd the boxes go?" Ren asked his partner. Dracmon looked around frantically, snarling, until he gave up and shrugged. "You didn't see anything?! How are you so worthless?!" He turned around and pointed to the far side of the castle. "Ryouma, go check over there. See if they went that way."

"Resigned to chasing boxes, huh?" Despite his snark, Ryouma obeyed and rounded the corner. There were no boxes, nor any place to hide them unless wanting to drown them in the moat. That concluded his investigation work.

He didn't even ask Koji, or rather Lobomon, repeating a drill of leaping over the moat, kicking off the castle wall, and bounding back over the moat, swords at the ready. Ryouma got bored just watching the wolf do the same thing over and over again. At the same time, the idea that someone would willingly subject themselves to such rigorous training mesmerized him. Just watching it was exhausting; he could only imagine what Lobomon felt. It was hard enough trying to imagine actually being a Digimon. He'd never experienced the sense of purpose demanding such discipline. Still, after Astamon, skipping the unpredictability of controlling Digimon and just doing it himself appealed to him.

After one last rep, Lobomon landed, re-sheathed his swords, and turned back into Koji. He paused to catch his breath, sweat coating his forehead and staining his bandanna. The intensity in his eyes remained even after finishing his exercise. Ryouma knew this was all to protect everyone in the castle and such effort didn't deserve to be mocked.

Not that he cared: "Hasn't that wall suffered enough?"

More sweat flew when Koji flicked his head to him, throwing a long stare at Ryouma's smirk but refusing to oblige a reaction. Ryouma finally added, "That looked strenuous."

"Someone has to keep us alive. You can't do anything."

Even coming from Koji's mouth, somehow the cheap shot didn't affect Ryouma the way it could from less acidic voices. "Yes, we all know my story. It would have ended very differently if my Digimon was simply me."

"You couldn't handle becoming a Digimon."

"Is that so?" Ryouma stepped forward. Koji took a half-step back. "It's not just a power suit you use to bounce off walls?" His smirk grew, his voice more playful. The idea had evolved from amazement to true curiosity. Few things could still catch his interest like this.

"It's someone else's spirit. You have to work with it. Understand it. Control it. It's probably not that different from having a partner. He's just inside me all the time."

"Hmm… at the same time there's no risk of losing control of your Digimon and watching them run amok."

Koji grinned on instinct. "Well, not anymore there isn't. Took care of that problem a long time ago."

Ryouma's smile fell. Beneath Koji's triumph suggested a failure. "You're saying controlling the Digimon inside you was a problem once?"

Flinching at the topic, Koji muttered back, "Sure… at first. Most of us struggled with our Beast Spirits."

"Helpless feeling, isn't it? Tethered to a Digimon that refuses to listen to you?"

Koji grunted. "You would know." When Ryouma refused to stop staring, he looked away. "Look, don't bring that whole thing up. It sucked. And it put a lot of us in danger. We worked it out pretty fast anyway."

"It's nice when everything sorts itself out, isn't it?"

"Look, what do you want, sympathy? All I know about you is what Ren told me." His wandering eyes and hurried voice delighted Ryouma. He did enjoy watching others squirm. "You want someone to feel bad for you, maybe try talking to someone."

"I'm talking to you." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm enjoying talking to you. Is that a problem?"

"I'm going back in." Head down, Koji sped past Ryouma.

The hunter remained motionless, his smile returning. There were indeed few things in life he took satisfaction in. Having some semblance of control was one of them. Over his Digimon, over his hunt, over everybody in the castle demanding sanitary conditions and stocked cupboards. As such, he found himself more and more satisfied with every interaction with this stubborn wolf boy.

* * *

Zoe Orimoto tried not to guess what was going through Takuya's brain. He sent the investigation team—created to uncover the world's secrets—to patrol for possible nearby enemy activity. This despite nothing appearing on the radar. As much of a debacle as the mountain raid was, the enemy suffered more casualties. She couldn't imagine another attack so soon. Even if Takuya suspected one, sending the researchers out to poke it seemed foolish. Without cause, it was paranoid. Either way, this shouldn't have been their job.

"Is pointless hunting normal for Takuya?" muttered Rei as the umpteenth branch in the woods turned up empty.

"It's… really not…" More worry escaped than Zoe wanted. She knew the conditions Takuya struggled in, and this was the sort of situation that could set off a string of questionable choices. It scared her into a terrible decision of her own once, albeit one that strengthened her and put her in a position where Takuya's mental state wasn't her problem. Now it was everybody's.

"There has to be a better approach to this," Izzy mumbled as they saw a clearing in the distance after miles of forest wore them down.

"What did Takuya tell you he wanted to accomplish doing it this way?" she asked him.

"He never met with me. Only Haru."

"Why's he meeting with Haru? Aren't you head of the team?"

Izzy shook his head. "Technically, Haru's been captain since he joined us. Original team leaders have always had their own fraternity."

"And you're okay with that?" She wasn't. Izzy created the team. Why should he quietly surrender it to someone new just because they wore goggles?

He shrugged. "It's hard to argue with having the investigation team led by someone partnered to a walking search engine."

"Contrary to popular belief, Izzy is not actually a walking search engine," Tentomon chimed in.

Zoe couldn't tell if Izzy's disinterest in the discussion stemmed from resigned apathy or suppressed anger. "And you're sure it's just because he's supposed to be leader?"

The insinuation froze him. "What else would it be? And why is it a problem? Haru's been fine since the junkyard."

"I don't know… maybe Matt got into Takuya's ear about you."

He stared back long enough to express his displeasure, then rolled his eyes forward again and resumed his march. "Matt and I talked about it last night."

"You did?!"

"You said I had to."

"I didn't think you actually would. I'm impressed! How did it go?"

"Surprisingly well." He stopped and smiled at her. "His frustration during the battle was purely because of my tactical decisions, which in hindsight were fair to criticize. He was much calmer about it last night."

Zoe narrowed her eyes. This sort of resolution surprised her. It was too tidy, too calm. Given the sorts of personalities involved, and the actions already taken, she couldn't accept something so simple.

"But he wrote a song calling you out about Nene. Didn't that come up?"

Izzy breezily offered an answer: "A thought experiment. Imagining what sort of emotions would arise if he had a reason to be suspicious."

"That's a bit manipulative, don't you think? Putting you through that if he didn't really mean it?"

"Perhaps, but the important thing is he didn't really mean it. I can forgive the rest."

She scratched her chin. Something still didn't fit. "I don't know… what if he's just saying that because he doesn't want to talk about it?"

Calm and sincere, Izzy answered, "Zoe, I know Matt's not the easiest to understand. You've only known him for a little more than a year. I've known him since I was 10. I can assure you if he wanted to talk about it, he would talk about it."

Zoe dropped it for the time being, but it didn't add up for her. Matt struck her as too genuine on stage to be completely detached from the emotions in the song. A performer could do that, she reasoned, if they really were distant and the entire situation was imaginary. A fake reaction to a real and penetrating problem was more blurry. Even Izzy's initial panic seemed more genuine than his appeasement from an convincing explanation.

One thing was clear: everyone wanted this to go away. Zoe probably should have let it. It would have meant all three parties set their emotions aside to downplay the situation with perspective and maturity. It would have been a sign of hope for the future of humanity. That's why she couldn't believe these three were capable of it. They were far too human for that.

Sparrowmon flew through the canopy at top speed, rustling the trees above them, loud enough to guarantee every would-be threat hiding in the woods knew their location. Given how little they'd turned up, nobody worried. Nene jumped off and reported all the nothing she'd found.

It was the sort of entrance Zoe took as a sign. Nene had already suggested nobody was hurt over this, but that was before Matt's song. Nene confirming Matt only pretended to be emo for the sake of his music counted for more than Izzy claiming it.

"Oh, but you'll never believe what's just up ahead," Nene said to conclude her report.

"The library where we first found Gryphonmon," Izzy answered. Nene pouted, so he added, "I don't need a navigation Appmon to know what landmarks we're near."

"They hid there once. It's worth another check." With everyone's agreement, the march continued.

It was a perfect segue for Zoe. She strolled up next to Nene, shoulders swaying, hands behind her back. "So, the library, huh? That's kinda awkward, isn't it?"

"We'll have to be better prepared for any surprises this time," said Nene, just as calm.

Zoe nodded back. That… was a pretty important point she wasn't considering. She pressed on anyway. "Sure, sure. But you know, that other thing happened…"

Nene's smile offered nothing. "You seem quite fixated on that. Is Jeremy not offering you enough excitement?" With a lower, lustier tone, she added, "I can speak with him about that, you know."

"What?! What are you talking about?!" She stopped her outburst to calm herself, glaring as Nene's coy grin grew. "I know you don't want to think it's a big deal, but Matt did write a whole song screaming about it."

"Did he? That's cute."

"You didn't catch that?" Izzy stepped in, one eye narrowed. Zoe didn't understand his sudden interest after just dismissing her concerns, but she welcomed the backup. "You were up there too as he was playing it. He didn't give you any sort of warning about his intentions when writing it?"

"Oh no, I don't pay much attention to his lyrics. I just assume all of his angry songs are about Tai."

"Normally that would be a reliable assumption, but this was very specific. Also, I thought you two conferred on each other's music."

"Yeah, don't you talk about what you were thinking when you wrote it and such?" Zoe added.

Nene shrugged, but the smile disappeared. "We collaborate on the song, but we don't talk about our lyrics. It's frightening enough sharing them with everybody. Having to explain them…" She sighed and sped away from her interrogators.

Izzy stopped, but it took Zoe a few paces before she noticed and halted herself. For everything Nene said to her, one thing needed clarification. Zoe spun back to Izzy and loudly insisted, "There's nothing wrong with me and Jeremy, all right?! I don't know where that came from!"

She couldn't tell he heard her. His head was down, a hand on his chin. When he looked up, he asked, "You and Jeremy are rooming together, right?"

The question caught her off guard. "Y-yes?"

"And Sora's rooming with Takuya…"

"Yes?" She wasn't sure where this was going. "Trust me, she can have him."

"Why aren't Matt and Nene rooming together?"

It was a jolting revelation and a question she hadn't thought about, but she didn't see why it mattered. "Oh, I never thought about it."

"Neither did I. I established the original policy against inter-gender rooming in the first place, so I didn't question it. I didn't know Takuya ended it until we got here."

"I don't see what you're getting at." Not only that, she didn't like how this was becoming about her. She sighed. "I guess if Matt and Nene both say it isn't a big deal, we should believe them, but…"

Izzy's furrowed brows and hard yet aimless glare surprised her. This was a look reserved for solving the mysteries of the universe, not frivolous gossip. "What, having second thoughts about what Matt said?" she asked.

"No. I believe Matt. And I don't have any reason to doubt what Nene said." He looked up at her. "I think you're asking the wrong question. It's not about whether Matt's upset over what happened. It's why he isn't."

His sudden interest and new perspective captivated her. Suddenly she didn't feel crazy for sensing something amiss. "Okay… any theories?"

"Just a hypothesis. As I said, I've known Matt for a long time, and this is not only consistent with his behavior, it explains everything. But mind you I have no interest in testing this."

"Come on, out with it!"

Izzy looked around for eavesdroppers, then dropped it: "It's very possible Matt and Nene are no longer together."

* * *

Tai Kamiya dared himself to think things might be settling down. A day watching the settlement's construction chug along with neither milestones nor complications, plus some off-site tranquility with Meiko, proved to be the quiet reset he needed. He left convinced he didn't have to worry about what was going on over there. Once he stopped thinking about that, everything back home seemed routine, even boring.

Not that routine meant devoid of activity. The patrol team had to be extra vigilant about potential problems that would threaten the construction, and still hadn't fully gelled after Cody joined them. The response team clicked far better, but were always busy resolving disputes or putting down corrupted Digimon. Back home, the internationals still waiting for a home had made a nice peace with the castle management, thanks to plenty of organization from Henry and Jeri. Tai also had to process constant reports about the Isthmian situation, and he had plenty to worry about there, but with no decisions to make he could fool himself into trusting everybody up there to handle it.

The loudest conversation in the room featured Henry and Thomas discussing Pusurimon mysteriously popping into Angie's Fusion Loader. Tai could sit back and listen to this sort of dilemma all day. Not that the consequences of a mistake weren't staggering, but it was fresh enough to not bore him, yet familiar enough that he knew they'd come to the right conclusions. That the conclusion they reached would pacify Angie, all the better.

Speaking of familiar yet fresh, Mimi stepped off the elevator, Palmon and Tommy flanking her. The cooking staff rarely ever came upstairs and Digimon weren't supposed to linger in the command room, so this was an odd sight.

"Hey Mimi. What's going on?" asked Tai.

"I need to meet with you and Henry." Her tone was uncomfortably professional. Mimi could brighten even a serious discussion, so the formality worried him.

"Why's Palmon here?"

"Emotional support," Palmon replied.

"Tommy's part of this too?" Henry asked.

Tommy shook his head. "No, I'm also emotional support."

Despite the confusion on his face, Henry gestured to the meeting room. Before he or Tai could sit, Mimi bowed deeply. With two hands, she offered them a roll of parchment.

Once everyone was seated, Tai opened the scroll. The message was in formal—and surprisingly neat by Mimi's standards—lettering using the nicest ink he'd ever seen in this world. It read, "Effective two weeks from today, I am resigning my position as head cook." Mimi's embossed, wax-sealed stamp ended the message.

As outrageous as the method of delivery was, Mimi's head was down when she said, "I heard two weeks was right for this sort of thing."

Tai winced. "You're quitting?" She took a deep breath and nodded. Palmon patted her hand.

"Is this because of the workload?" Henry asked. "I can't blame you if you're burnt out, but that's why we've been trying to get other groups in here and get you more breaks."

"If you just want some time off, we can make that work." Henry nodded in agreement. It wouldn't have been the first time they've given her a vacation.

Mimi shook her head. "I can't let this be my thing."

"Your… thing?" Tai and Henry turned to each other, eyes narrowing.

"You know… my thing. What I do. How I make everybody happy here."

Tai knew to tread carefully. In another life, he'd wrestled with finding his thing. "So why can't this be your… thing… anymore?"

"I only fell into the job after what happened to Palmon. It's not bad. It's important. It can be kind of fun. But most of all I liked it because it was safe." Mimi squeezed Palmon's hand. "I don't think I want safe anymore."

"So you're saying you want to be on an active team now?" asked Henry.

"Absolutely not." Her head picked up to offer the firm reply.

"Okay… so, what do you want to do?" Tai's drew out his words, trying not to let the hurdle of replacing her distract him.

"I don't know yet." Mimi looked up and around the room. "I was thinking I could head over to the new place. I could help out Meimei. Or see what Michael needs. He'd never turn down seeing more of me."

"I don't know, they keep saying they want to do things their way."

"And they already have more than enough people," added Henry.

Mimi winked. "They don't have me."

Henry took a deep, exasperated breath. "So… you want to leave your vitally important job… to head up to the settlement… which is already pretty crowded… but you don't know what you want to do yet?"

"I'll try out a few things. We'll see how it goes."

The operations officer shook his head a few times before settling on the commander. Tai didn't look back, staring hard at Mimi. As if he had any reason to doubt her sincerity. "Well…" he chuckled. "I guess I can't get too upset about someone trying to… how did you put it? Find your thing?"

Her sparkling grin flashed for the first time. "So you're okay with it?"

His grin followed, as if hers commanded it. "I mean we can't make you keep working."

"But…" Henry wanted to protest. He sighed instead. "So what are we doing about food? Tommy, are you taking over?"

"That's a bad idea!" Tommy replied, far too cheerfully. "Remember I tried to run the kitchen when…" He stopped and frowned at Tai, who tried not to laugh at his awkwardness over bringing it up. "…you know, the first time we all left. It, uh… it didn't go well."

"But you've got plenty of options," Mimi shot her palm out. "You've got Sora, and Ewan… I bet even Matt could do it."

"All of whom are up at Isthmian," Henry muttered.

"Well, I guess that's what the two weeks are for." Mimi pushed back her chair and stood. As she approached the door, despite the smile on her face, Tai noticed the tears.

"Mimi, are you sure about this?" he asked.

Her hand clutched the door handle. She didn't turn to him. "Not at all. Thank you."

* * *

Sora Takenouchi was a worrier by nature. Takuya Kanbara was not. It wasn't a bad combination. She could identify areas to be concerned about and give them extra attention, while he could be stay calm and attack them without fear. The dynamic clouded when the biggest problem became Takuya himself.

The war was bad and no amount of reassurances could change that. Several Digimon deaths, one human death, and all the injuries and setbacks from the mountain raid couldn't be ignored. Still, at no point did she feel in danger. Even if the hunters were weaker than hoped, the firepower from all the experienced veterans ensured that any kind of decent plan could keep the castle upright. This never came close to the constant dread and sleepless nights her team faced when they first arrived in this world. Just the memory of those days scared her more than any Tankdramon could.

Takuya never experienced those days. He never had to slow down because few things got in his way. When they did, he barreled into them with a fiery persistence until they turned to ash. It suited him well on the response team where problems were short-term and definitive. That persistence even worked when making plans to move here, only stretched out and thoughtful, lighting the fire with matches and sticks instead of a blowtorch. Once under control, his flame attracted her. It was prettier kept in a lantern than dancing on a torch, and lit the way all the same.

Now he faced a problem he couldn't attack head on. The enemies calculated their moves, only revealing themselves for a massive coordinated assault or to draw him into a trap. Takuya didn't function on the defensive. His wars were fought with constant activity: reach Cherubimon's lair, defeat the Royal Knights, kill the gods. This fight couldn't be won that way and it tormented him. Sora could soothe and distract him every night. She couldn't change how poorly this war suited him.

All the soothing and distracting had their rewards for her. Takuya was a genuine lover, never settling for anything less than her bliss. They were not friends attempting to be more or faking it to kill their grief. Unlike her past relationships, their probing conversations showed her things she didn't already know. The mid-day surprises, the late-night pool visits, and the carefree dancing pushed her to heights she would have never dared to reach on her own.

Still, she couldn't enjoy them when her partner was breaking and refused to let her mend him. Sora could do more than comfort Takuya. She could help him overcome his fears, or offer some perspective to his war. Hell, she wasn't a stranger to the battlefield herself. No matter what, she could do something. With so many lives on the line, getting his head right was more important than easing his pain.

Sora didn't expect any of this to come to a head while emptying a garbage can. She also didn't expect so much tension to escape the operations room when she opened the door.

Inside, Takuya's frantic voice greeted her. "We have to go after all these guys, right?!" He stood behind the row of chairs, staring at the screen. Koji and Matt remained seated, turned his way.

"What's going on?" she asked, leaning towards the can in the corner. Biyomon flew in with a replacement bag ready to go.

"Don't worry about it!" Takuya hurriedly replied. "We're dealing with it! Actually, could you come back another time?"

She froze. Even if she wasn't supposed to be part of the discussion, Takuya never concealed information.

In fact it was Matt who turned to her, nodding at the screen, an overhead map covered in more than a dozen white circles. "Haru just sent us this. It's where they first found Gryphonmon."

Takuya glared at Matt for a moment, but turned back to Sora, flailing at the map. "If we're reading it right, they're surrounding us! And we don't even know who they got working for them."

"We're still trying to verify this information." Koji's irritation suggested this wasn't the first trip around their argument. "Gatchmon can't figure out how they're sharing this data or if it's accurate."

"But what if it is legit?! You really want to run the risk of getting ambushed by twenty Megas?! We have to go out there!" Takuya's eyes twitched, his voice cracking when he said "Megas."

"Who's we?" asked Matt. "Everyone's still hurt."

"I don't know, send some of the hunters out."

Koji rolled his eyes. "You really think Ren could handle a Mega?"

"We don't know if they're Megas. That was just a…" After a grunt, Takuya yelled, "We have to do something!"

"Takuya." Sora's voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the room. Takuya snapped back to her. There were tears in his eyes. She pointed to the door. "Come on." He was happy to follow her out.

Alone in the hallway, he pulled her into a hug. His shaking hands rattled her back as his chin settled on her shoulder. Sora held him until the shaking stopped, all the while staring forward, into the wall.

With a deep exhale he finally said, "It's not as bad as it looks. We just have to stay on top of it."

Hands on his shoulders, she gently pulled him off. "You need to get a hold of yourself."

"Sora, this is serious. They already hit us twice. Who knows what they're planning next?"

"I know, but you can't get reckless. That's what they want. You can't send Ren and them out if you don't even know what you're dealing with."

His eyes narrowed, heartbreak setting in already. "What, now you're gonna tell me what we can't do?"

"If enough of us do, maybe you'll listen."

"Look, I get enough of that from those two," he said, flailing at the operations room. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I'm supposed to-" She calmed herself with clenched teeth and a long breath. "You can't do this by yourself. You need help."

"You don't think I can do this?!" he blurted, back stiffening. "What, you don't trust me?"

"This is… this is hard." No matter how much force he put into it, she saw his frailty. She had to keep him upright, and deflating his ego would have led to worse choices. "It's a difficult situation, especially if you're not used to it."

"Who says I'm not used to it? My team saved the world too. I can handle this."

Could she really get into why he couldn't? How this wasn't his kind of war, and what that even meant without making it personal? She shook her head. "I can't expect anyone to handle this alone."

"Could Tai handle this alone?" Sora winced and instantly wished she hadn't. It happened because going there said everything about Takuya's mindset. But he would take it a different way entirely: "Oh. Of course Tai could." The bitterness oozed out, teeming with unfounded envy. Of course it would come back to Tai.

"I wouldn't say he did it alone." She framed it as best she could. Really, she had no doubt Tai could have navigated this war with a steadier hand.

Takuya only clenched his teeth and looked away, all the poison boiling over inside him.

Now she had to fish for a remedy. "It's… it's not like he didn't have the same problems. He was… just as lost once." She couldn't elaborate without directly criticizing Takuya. She also couldn't say this was when Tai was eleven.

"So what? Bet you were the key to making him all better." He folded his arms, sneering at whatever wasn't her.

He was right though. She was the key to Tai stepping up. It only took a traumatic experience she refused to subject herself to again. And Tai never reached the depths Takuya was plunging himself towards now.

"Well, go ahead. Fix whatever you think's wrong with me," Takuya muttered.

Sora faced the floor. For all the fears of Takuya being over his head, Sora realized she was over hers. Barely louder than a whisper, she answered, "No."

Now he looked up at her. "No?"

"I don't think you're doing well at all." Stepping back, the tension flowed past her. She was calm, firm, and honest. "And no matter how much I do to support you, I can't pretend everything's fine. And I can't not try to help. I need to try to help. But you don't want that, do you?"

"I just want you to help me forget about all this when we're together." His voice was mellower but even his honesty stung.

"It doesn't work that way. So… so before we keep going and wind up hating each other… let's just stop."

His eyes widened with both surprise and panic. "Stop?"

"If we keep going like this, it's only going to hurt more. I need to get out."

Eyes wandering, fishing for another truth, he mumbled, "Is this supposed to help me somehow?"

"No." She sighed. "I know it probably makes it worse. And I'm sorry. But I can't be what you need right now. I don't know what you need right now."

"Well…" Takuya exhaled, his head shaking. He looked more lost than ever. "…great." Any fight in him was gone. She hated watching this, and wanted so badly to hug him and reassure him it was more about her. But since it was, she needed to hold steady and not get too attached. He was no longer her problem.

Eventually, after staring at the door forever, he pushed it open and dragged himself through. Off to make decisions potentially endangering lives in whatever shape he was left in. Again, she almost rushed in to stop it.

When he walked in, Biyomon flew out, struggling to lift a loaded garbage bag. She dropped it in the cart and flew in front of Sora. "Are you okay?"

"How much of that did you hear?"

"All of it. I was eavesdropping." Biyomon stole a glance at the door. "So was Matt."

Sora rolled her eyes. "Great." Still, he didn't come out to comment, nor did he hear any commotion in the room.

"You know, leaving like that was a little selfish." She flew to the janitor cart and landed on it, beckoning her partner to push it away.

"Yeah." Her agreement carried plenty of guilt. She was numb to any other emotion. She even lacked the urge to cry.

As she pushed the cart down the hall, Biyomon said, "I'm proud of you. You should be selfish more often." It forced a smile on Sora's face. Even if it wasn't the best for Takuya or even the castle at large, she couldn't deny this was the right move for her. As automatic as Biyomon's support came, it reassured her anyway.

"Do you want to go for a walk? It'll clear your head." Sora nodded back. Already she didn't care about the consequences to anyone but herself. Already the guilt was subsiding.

Now she was just numb.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 14:** **"Zero Day"**  
Rei realizes a breakthrough to the Yuujin project, but the ethical implications worry Haru. A strange phenomenon with disturbing origins threatens the settlement. Sora and Ewan disagree on who should replace Mimi.

" _Do you want this or not?"_

* * *

 **Author's Notes  
** All of Pusurimon's dialogue was written before Rearise came out. It still works in his silly Elmo dub voice and I've never been prouder.

Henry questioning the validity of Zero Two's epilogue isn't intended to undermine it, but just his own doubts whether his world would be able to see into the future of another, even if it could read the past. Everything is written to be epilogue compliant pre-divergence, even if the assumptions everyone (including me) had about various dating histories proved inaccurate.

Exploring the shady post-separation future of the tamers was something I wanted to do with this story even before the new audio drama came out. Naturally, I wove in a few details from it, most obviously Rika going from unhappy model to badass biker.

Reminder that Palmon died in a siege on the castle not long after the Frontier kids first arrived. She refused to fight until the Algomon battle in Neverworld.


	14. Zero Day

**Author** **'s Note**  
Going on break again after this one. This ending should give you plenty to think about for the break. With System Restore suddenly back to life covering Appmon, it's slowed me down a little bit, so it might be a couple more months before we're back. It will be worth it!

 **Nexusworld**

 _We sing fun songs but this here_ _'s a warning:_  
 _That the exploit's open, and it might sound corny,_  
 _But I give a damn 'bout the state of the Earth._  
 _Expect a hacker has to wreck it just to teach it what it's worth._  
 _\- MC Frontalot,_ _"Zero Day"_

 **Episode 14**

Ren Tobari hated everything about this assignment. Heck, he hated having an assignment to begin with. Other than repelling the occasional attack, life had been pretty comfortable at Isthmian Castle for him and the other hunters. Comfortable didn't always suit him, but in the middle of a war with two massive armies, hunkering down behind walls was a smarter choice than trying to hunt rare Digimon outside them. He tried to spin this mission as a hunt, but checking a marker on an enemy map without engaging it just sounded tedious.

He never paid much attention to the leadership, but he did enjoy rumors. Per his sources, they had discovered these markers a week ago, but only now decided to act on them. Were they actual enemy camps, traps, or just dots to throw off their scent? The leadership figured the best move was to send a bunch of teams out to several at once to see what was going on, while at the same stressing that "just dots" was the current best theory. Ren's team had a strict order not to fight anyone they came across, and the investigation team was close enough to offer assistance if necessary. He couldn't decide if this sounded pointless or dangerous.

No matter how much they stressed that finding nothing was the most likely result, Ren's company made him anticipate danger. In Tokyo's Digimon hunting game, Haruki, Noboru, and Ken were the ultimate also-rans. Guaranteed to show up when a big event or an elusive target appeared, guaranteed to act tough and offer token competition, and guaranteed to get muscled out by the stronger teams. Ren assumed they captured some Digimon away from the spotlight, but their victories were paltry compared to his or Mikey's teams. He questioned whether they could even be successful hunting nothing.

The rocky shoreline they had to cover was open enough to let Noboru and Ken roam on their Digimon, a big clunky Allomon and a ShimaUnimon who would have been far more useful if it could fly. Haruki walked below his Witchmon, who floated above everybody instead of scouting ahead like a smart hunter would have ordered. Ren could have suggested it, or sent Dracmon, but he wasn't invested enough to put his partner at risk in the off chance the nothing turned hostile.

It didn't matter; the most obvious hiding place was impossible to miss. "So they're in that cave up there?" Ken asked, learning forward against ShimaUnimon's neck to peer at the opening in the rockpile ahead of them.

Ren checked the map: the marker was a short distance past it and there was no way the cave survived high tide without at least a little standing water. At the same time, "a short distance" was an open clearing above a eight foot cliff. Even from a distance he could see there was nothing on the surface. The only chance of having anything to report hid inside the cave.

He tried to let the other three approach the narrow opening first, but their two steeds didn't fit. "If only we had a tiny Digimon who could sneak in and let us know what's up." Haruki's snark had grown tiresome long ago.

Rolling his eyes, Ren said, "Fine, fine… Dracmon, go poke around in there."

The little demon entered, delving deep enough to disappear. "Not literally!" Noboru shouted. The sound echoed around the cave and bounced back. A loud rustling followed, like the cave itself rejected the call.

A minute later Dracmon sprinted out of the cave, panic inverting his usual toothy smile. The rustling grew louder, enough to distinguish itself as claws scratching along rock at top speed. He took cover behind Allomon, who in his dumbfounded state wound up in position to act as the defense against the Scorpiomon skittering through the entrance. Even a dinosaur Digimon didn't stop its charge, knocking over Allomon with just its forward momentum and a swipe of its claws.

Still, it bought Ren enough distraction time to evolve Dracmon to Yasyamon. His Double Strike attack didn't damage Scorpiomon, but did stop it, even forcing it to backpedal by stepping forward.

"Hey…" Ren grinned. "I don't know if we can hunt this guy but let's find out." Witchmon hovered just behind Yasyamon. Ken ordered ShimaUnimon to leap to the top of the cliff to surround their new target.

Scorpiomon peeked behind to catch the new threat before returning to the two in front of it. "Scorpion Storm!" it cried, surrounding itself with a torrent of sand. It blew forward at Yasyamon and Witchmon. Yasyamon backed away, shielding his eyes with his swords.

Witchmon had a better idea: "Baluluna Gale!" The magic wind attack pushed the sand back to, behind, and above Scorpiomon… right into the path of the charging ShimaUnimon and his helpless rider. Ken yelped, giving away their position.

"Tail Blade!" Scorpiomon caught ShimaUnimon with its tail and had the strength to fling him into the air towards the ocean. Disoriented and blinded from the sand, Ken didn't make it that far. At the apex of their arc, Ken fell, plummeting headfirst into the rocks.

The sight of the crash didn't drive the twinge of terror through Ren's body as much as the cracking sound did. He would have mocked a crash, no matter how many broken bones or hospital trips it caused. The cracking… he couldn't laugh off the crack. Ken's head fell from a considerable distance against jagged rocks. The rocks wouldn't crack.

Ren never had much regard for anyone else's safety. He pursued the things he wanted and left everyone else to fend for themselves. They always did, so he never had much cause to be concerned about it. Even Tagiru in his infinite stupidity always persevered through whatever situation Ren threw at him. Accusations of being callous and cold bounced off him, always landing in the bin of "no harm, no foul." Even if he wasn't responsible, it didn't dull the shock arising from the very real possibility that he had just watched somebody die.

* * *

Izzy Izumi's first thought hearing the distress call was wondering why Ken would be up at Isthmian helping a bunch of hunters with a recon project. Once he grasped the severity of the situation, he realized just how disrespectful that was and how he probably should get to know the hunters better. Sparrowmon and Nene flew ahead while MegaKabuterimon carried the rest of the team. Among the witnesses, only Noboru was near the victim, the others still dealing with the very angry Scorpiomon. It only increased Izzy's discomfort. Not only was three Champion-level Digimon against an Ultimate an uphill fight, it was totally unnecessary: his team reached a different radar marker earlier and concluded they didn't mean anything. This corroborated Keenan's findings: he had visited a couple the week prior and found no sign of an enemy presence. Odds were good Scorpiomon had nothing to do with this, and now Izzy's partner had to join the battle to drive him away.

MegaKabuterimon stayed to fight with Globemon. Izzy left Haru to monitor the battle while he, Rei, and Zoe rushed up to Nene. The good sign was Ken's body was still there, prone against the rocks, a sickening gash in his head running too deep to offer any hope of bandaging it on site. Zoe recoiled, squeezing Izzy's shoulder to avoid fainting. She turned around and focused on the Scorpiomon fight instead.

Nene had a hand on Ken's wrist. "He still has a pulse, but he'll be hard to move."

"He's been out this whole time?" Izzy asked.

Noboru nodded. Through heavy, nervous breathing, he said, "Got launched into the air. Fell right on his head."

"Major head trauma no doubt. How about his neck?"

Nene looked up in surprise when she sensed Izzy's eyes on her. "You want me to check? I wouldn't know what I was looking for."

Izzy exhaled through his nose. "And we don't have a brace. Maybe if we radioed in…"

"Come on, do we really have time for that?!" Noboru shouted.

"I don't know. Depending on the extent of the head and neck injuries, we either need to prioritize getting him back to the castle fast or waiting until we can get him there securely."

Nene glanced at Ken and frowned before looking back up. This time, it wasn't at Izzy. "Rei, is this something Hackmon can check?"

Rei furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" asked Izzy.

"Seems Hackmon can scan and rewrite our neurological functions. He saved Mikey's hearing after the bombing."

Eying both of them, and Hackmon, Rei answered, "Your brother said I wasn't allowed to do that again."

"Well this is important. Also, I'm older."

After staring at Nene for a long time, Rei nodded at Hackmon. Ken didn't respond when the wires drove into his ears. Just like he always could with any hackable medium, Rei's interface let him look at the data inside a human brain. He clenched his teeth, scanning the data with dismay and confusion.

"What? How bad is it?" asked Noboru.

"There's nothing there," Rei mumbled.

"Nothing there? What do you mean?"

Izzy moved where he could see over Rei's shoulder at a display window, empty save for a single blinking cursor. "I assume there's supposed to be code here," he said. Rei nodded, slow and haunted.

Noboru hovered over Ken, almost crowding out Nene. "Is he gonna die?"

Rei kept a straight face. "It's possible he's already dead."

"His heart's still beating," Nene said.

"The heart can function without the brain," Izzy replied. "But not for very long."

Leaning away from the screen and facing Noboru, Rei asked. "You. You're his friend, right?"

Noboru stared back in confusion. "Huh? What?"

"Double Hack!" Another set of wires burrowed into his ears and a second monitor appeared in front of Rei.

Amid Noboru's groaning, Nene asked, "What's this about?"

The second display filled with code. "Prodigious…" Izzy mumbled. "This is what it's supposed to look like, correct?"

Rei didn't answer, hard at work searching for something in Noboru's data. Once he found it, he shouted, "Copying."

Noboru's face contorted as he rubbed the wire. "Copying?! Copying what?!"

"Programming for essential automatic functions. Heart, lungs… eyes might even open." Izzy checked Ken: they didn't.

When the transfer finished, the wires retracted and Noboru fell flat on his face. Nene ignored him, checking Ken's back to confirm minimal breathing. "But if there's no brain activity, what good will that do?"

"It's like a Safe Mode, right? We can get him back to the castle and give someone else a chance." Izzy turned to Rei for confirmation, but instead he stared at the original screen. A few lines of code confirmed the new processes, but it was nowhere near a functioning brain. Was anything left? Could anything be recovered? Or was this just a stopgap before confirming his inevitable demise?

The confrontation behind him ended. As Zoe, Ren, and Haruki continued a long argument, Haru and Gatchmon ran up to the medics. "Scorpiomon ran back into the cave," the appdriver said.

"Those two nitwits wanna go after him anyway," the Appmon added.

"How is he?"

"Not good," Nene answered. "We stabilized him enough to take him back to the castle, but Hackmon can't find any brain activity."

Haru gasped. "Is there anything we can do?"

Izzy and Nene only looked down. Rei kept staring at Haru, eyes focusing in, then wandering. He snapped back to Ken and Hackmon, his face giving nothing away but the steeled worry of having a life on the line.

Blinking, he returned to Haru and said, "There's something we can try." Rei turned to Izzy and Nene. "It's last ditch, I can't explain what it is, and there's one condition you need to agree to."

"Yes?" said Nene.

"Nobody asks questions."

* * *

Impmon was used to boredom. He had particular tastes for his choice in relieving it, and often found his needs unmet by Ai and Mako's work duties, especially once he discovered a nagging sense of guilt anytime either of his tamers scolded him. That ruled out destructive carnage.

Usually he could find creatures to pester or objects invulnerable enough to his attacks to get by. Not so much when they were out at the train platform helping Meiko and others unload a shipment. This was open field with nothing to attack and the only worthwhile targets for ridicule insisting on helping. That wouldn't do at all.

From a distance, Impmon glared at all the helpful Digimon hauling junk and shouted, "You morons! You're choosing manual labor when you could be out here running away from me! Get your lives together!" As always, everyone ignored him.

He fell back into the grass and looked up to the sky. Most days there wasn't much to see, with consistent clear skies, maybe a nonthreatening cloud here and there, and the occasional pixel noise to remind him how far from the human world they were. It was calmer than the Digital World back home. He hated it.

This time, however, he caught a thick black storm cloud in the distance, drifting slowly towards them. Impmon's hopes rose. Did it bring rain? Lightning? Hail? He welcomed any trace of chaos coming their way.

As he thought of several targets to dare to go outside and frolic in the thunder, his head ached. He pulled away; the pain faded. When he turned to it again, it returned. Yet every time he looked away, some instinct, some compulsion drew him back. The longer he stared, the more it echoed in his head. In time, it grew a voice, dark, distorted, yet understandable: "Come home." Impmon shrieked and ran back to his partners.

Steve waved him in. "Almost done, Impmon! Grab a box." Impmon didn't acknowledge him, sprinting straight into Ai's chest.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at her brother with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Impmon still trembled in her arms. "Let's get out of here! Go! Go! Go!"

"I don't see a problem," said Steve, surveying the field. "Might have some weather coming in though."

"You think I'd be freaking out over freaking weather?! There's something nasty in there!"

Meiko peered into the distant storm. "You know, Impmon might be right. Tai says storms are kinda rare here." She noted Impmon's heavy breathing and wide, panicked eyes. "And that's worrying."

"Don't let it get me!"

Mako patted Impmon's head. "We won't let it get you, Impmon! A few more boxes and we'll be on our way!"

"Or we could go now!" The little demon raked his hands across his head.

"Relax, we've got time before it gets here," said Steve.

Meiko hummed her discontent. "We probably shouldn't take chances." She grimaced at Steve. "This kinda thing makes me nervous. Why don't you leave Frigimon here and drive Impmon back? We'll walk back with the rest of the boxes after I get a better look at this storm."

Steve looked at Impmon again and nodded. "Just be careful."

She didn't need the warning. Tormented Digimon brought back bad memories and anything causing it warranted immediate scrutiny. As Steve drove the cart back, Impmon and his partners safe in tow, she wandered around the back of the train while Frigimon finished unpacking.

The storm carried a menacing air to it, but what storm didn't? Meiko didn't even dislike them. Back home the same sight only meant she couldn't play outside, but the calm evening at home watching it pass through a window made up for it. Hers was a passive, informed worry. Tai said they were a rarity, so she believed him. Impmon said there was something else within it; she insisted on believing him. It was only abnormal in context, and context didn't upset her.

It drifted towards them, but there was no rain or lightning to be seen. Suspending the day's outdoor projects and pulling everybody inside would be a smart precaution, but she didn't foresee major damage from it. Nor was it moving fast enough to surprise them. She could walk back, carrying the remaining boxes with Frigimon, and still have time to make a pot of tea before choosing a window.

The Trailmon whistled and took off, drawing her eyes back to Frigimon signaling her. Meiko looked at the storm one more time. When she realized how the storm was moving, in came the dread. It rotated, the cloud swirling around itself, depressing its center. Spying the mere infancy of a funnel, she dashed back to the platform, grabbed the lightest half of the boxes, and told Frigimon to run.

Neither had the stamina to sprint the entire way, especially carrying two boxes apiece. They slowed to a brisk walk by the time Michael and his Betamon intercepted them. "There you are! You need to get inside! The response team's on its way!"

She stopped anyway. "The response team? Are they going to fight the tornado?"

"Tornado?" Michael staggered back. "Megumi picked up a disturbance on the radar. Said it looked like a digital anomaly and it's headed our way."

"Digital anomaly?" They continued back to the settlement. "What, like it's going to suck us all in?"

"That or it might spit something out! We don't know what's coming but it's definitely bad!"

* * *

Sora Takenouchi never regretted her decision to break up with Takuya. Not through the melancholy of packing and moving out of his room or the awkwardness of surprising her new roommate. Not even when she realized nobody would be around to break up her days or share her nights. She had no trouble turning her heart off and plowing through her routines to get through each day. She had her duties, she had Biyomon, and they weren't the first names called when it came time to fight.

There just wasn't anything else. She insisted Takuya wasn't the reason she left for Isthmian. It was about getting away from the comfortable, experiencing a new environment with new challenges, and chasing what she wanted instead of letting norms and traditions tell her what to do. Her experience here was an ugly rotation of dull comfort with watching lives thrown on the line in an unfortunate war. Neither built to anything. Off the high of a relationship, life here was empty. These weren't the new challenges she had hoped for.

Did she like them better or worse than the thoughtless tasks that came with her job? What did it say that stocking food in the kitchen with Biyomon had become thoughtless to her? She was lost in a daydream when Ewan asked, "So when are you leaving?" She hadn't noticed him at a table in the corner, head up from a book.

"Leaving? What?"

Ewan glared at her in confusion, then set his book down. "You didn't hear about Mimi?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. What about it?" The two had a long chat after Mimi announced her resignation, but that news couldn't compete with Sora's breakup.

"Well… they need someone to cook for them now." Ewan's eyes shifted. "Everyone's sort of assuming you'll take the job."

Her first reaction was irritation, bordering on rage. Nobody had approached her about this. She could credit Matt keeping a respectful distance post-breakup and Ryouma being his aloof self, but everyone "assuming" she would welcome moving back annoyed her. She hadn't considered it, and if the thought of everyone banking on it sickened her this much, she was going to run with it.

"Does this everyone include Matt and Ryouma?" Her frustration eased when Biyomon asked the question she was wondering.

Blinking, he answered, "Probably, but does anyone know what Matt and Ryouma are really thinking?"

"Why does it have to be me?" Sora asked while finishing her stocking. "You're more familiar with the kitchen down there."

"No!" he cried, startling her enough to drop a can of beans. Ewan's hands clutched his jeans, face in a panic. "I… really… don't want to be back down there."

As Biyomon picked up and discarded the dented can, Sora answered slowly, "Well… why does everyone think I would?"

Ewan calmed down from his own fit, but the discomfort of the question didn't put him at ease. "Well I… hate to bring it up but… you and Takuya are done, right?"

Sora's eyebrows narrowed. She knew what he meant. And now she knew she couldn't agree willingly. "What does that have to do with anything?" She sounded off, unable to play naive the way she wanted.

"I-" Ewan looked away, scratching his temple. "You know… don't you think it'll be weird having the guy running the castle as an ex?"

Biyomon shouted back, "It's the same down south! She and Tai were together!" Sora cringed in embarrassment but was grateful to have someone else in her corner, no matter how humiliating the arguments.

She rephrased it her way: "Are you saying you think the only reason I came up here was because of Takuya?"

Ewan's eyebrows flared. "Um… everybody thinks that. Is that wrong?"

"Yes!" Now she looked away. "I mean it wasn't the only reason…" She turned back to him, momentum recovering. "But if I go back now it's like I'm confirming it. Being up here was about more than that. I need to prove that now."

"If I'm stuck going you'll be on kitchen duty here."

After only a moment of thought, she replied, "That's okay." It would have resolved the problem of her being too comfortable with her current position. She eyed his left hand, overcome with jitters. "Why don't you want to go?" With most of his teammates, including his sister, at Isthmian, Sora could imagine several reasons. But she wanted to hear what he'd say.

Sure enough, his eyes twitched, his mouth curled, and he slapped his leg and blurted, "I can't live under the same roof as Airu!"

"There it is!" Biyomon chirped.

Sora shrugged. "I don't understand why you can't co-exist with this girl." She gestured to the door. "If I can still talk to Takuya… or Matt… or Nene… you should really just sit down and talk it out with her."

"We tried that." Ewan gritted his teeth. "It went… poorly."

She shook her head. His reasons to avoid going didn't make sense to her. Not that her reasons may have made much sense to him. "Okay… well… so neither of us want to go. What now?"

"We appear to be at an impasse," added Biyomon.

"Yeah…" Ewan's nerves settled, but still carried a pained expression. "That means the management decides."

* * *

Rei Katsura was in control of the situation, which he hated only slightly less than not having any control at all. All eyes stayed on him during the trip back to Isthmian, the kind of spotlight he always shied away from. It added pressure to an already tense situation, a life in the balance and all that. This was the only reason Rei had any anxiety towards Ken's life. He'd be far more confident in his plan otherwise.

The first part of the plan was to exhaust all options to determine if Ken could be saved. The tension here was not in the possibility he couldn't. The lack of any brain activity whatsoever—rather than damaged or reduced or altered—suggested it was a lost cause. But Rei needed to be absolutely sure. Any road giving Ken hope had to be followed, no matter how unlikely or beyond Rei's expertise. Rei wasn't a doctor, but he figured it was the only course that was both logically and morally sound. That needed to be his starting foundation: if this was as hopeless as it first appeared, logic and morals would get warped beyond recognition.

His "nobody asks questions" command survived its first test when nobody was waiting for them, allowing them to usher Ken to the closet infirmary unimpeded. If Nene had called ahead like protocol dictated, there would be a crowd, including someone pretending to be a doctor. Rei needed fewer eyes on him, not more.

Already he had Izzy, Nene, and Haru looking over his shoulder. Zoe stayed behind with the hunters: the stated reason was to make sure they got home safely, but clearly it was to get them out of the picture and make sure they didn't do anything even stupider.

"I assume we're going to tell somebody at some point." Nene didn't phrase it as a question, but her tone gave away her displeasure. Either way, her point was made.

"Yes," Rei answered. "Tell them what happened. Tell them we're working on it." He looked up. "Tell them I can't be interrupted." She nodded and rushed out.

He turned to the next set of eyes. "Izzy, find a Cat-5 cable."

Izzy eyed the room. "There should be one in here."

"Izzy, do we really want to be tearing this room apart now? I'm sure there's fifty in your room," said Tentomon.

"You're exaggerating but I'm sure we'll find one somewhere." Izzy and his partner rushed out.

"What do you need a patch cable for?" asked Gatchmon.

"No questions," said Hackmon.

Turning to Haru anyway, Rei answered, "I needed him out of the room. You two need to find Maki and Daigo. Tell Daigo to make sure his doctor friend doesn't come anywhere near here. Get Maki here now."

Haru narrowed an eye. "Why do you need Maki?"

Rei stared back, unprepared for Haru's suspicions. "No questions," he answered. Haru's eyes widened and Gatchmon's shifted, but they backed out of the room in silence.

Alone with Hackmon and Ken's body, Rei should have been free to do what he needed. But the chance only revealed the next obstacle: the room itself.

"Revivemon won't fit in here," mumbled Rei.

Hackmon shot his tendrils into Ken again. This time, Rei waited before pulling up an interface. "Revivemon can only restore data if a trace of the original remains," his buddy said.

"You can't even find a trace?"

"If there was, the life support programming overwrote it."

The door swung open, startling them both. "I wasn't sure how long you needed it, so I grabbed a six meter." Izzy rushed back in, an unnecessarily long cable around Tentomon's neck.

Rei still stared at Hackmon. "It doesn't matter."

Izzy froze. "Revivemon can't help?" When he didn't get a response, he added, "I assumed that's what you were trying, although I don't understand the need for secrecy."

"Or this cable," Tentomon added.

"The secrecy was if Revivemon couldn't help," Rei answered, technically telling the truth. "His brain can't be recovered. Would you agree it's hopeless through normal means?"

Izzy looked over Ken. Despite the lack of a functioning brain and the massive head wound, he looked peaceful. "There are cases where someone thought to be braindead wakes up… but they never had Hackmon recognizing a total shutdown." He turned back to Rei. "Based on our capabilities, I would say that Ken, as he existed before, is gone forever."

Rei nodded. "Update everybody. But don't let them in here."

"You're going to try something more desperate, aren't you?"

"At least it won't be ambiguous whether he's dead or not."

Izzy stared back in awe, but nodded in hushed understanding. "Good luck," he said, slipping out the door.

As Rei took a deep breath, Hackmon said, "This is where it gets messy, right Rei?"

The door opened again, this time for Haru and Maki. She didn't acknowledge the body on the table. "Haru filled me in on what happened, but not why you need me."

"We need to get him to the workshop."

"The workshop?!" Haru exclaimed. "But what if someone sees us?!"

"Make sure nobody sees us."

Maki raised an eyebrow. "You want us to wheel this guy through the courtyard and out the door without anyone seeing us?"

Rei stared back: it was a legitimate obstacle. He solved it in his head and called out, "Appmon chip- ready." Raidramon barely fit in the cramped space, but opened up the wall behind them.

Astonished, Haru said, "Well, good thing we're on the side with no moat."

"I'm sorry," said Maki, more annoyed than apologetic. "I'm happy to help you research robotics for Yuujin. Please don't assume I'm willing to haul a body for you."

"But… it's a matter of life and death," Haru replied.

"Then keep lookout," Rei told her, kicking off the brakes for the wheels of Ken's table. "The next part is more your speed." He gestured at the other end. "Haru."

Wheeling Ken outside and along the grass was easy. Rei saw more trouble in Haru's face. He couldn't tell whether it was from the risk of exposing the workshop to others or if he wasn't a body hauler either. It could have been both. He didn't bother to ask.

When they pulled Ken down into their pit, Rei realized he too struggled with body hauling. Ken was among the shorter kids at Isthmian, but neither Rei nor Haru were at all athletic and had only Gatchmon to help as Maki and Raidramon had to return the table and close the wall. The solution came with Rei and Gatchmon gently lowering Ken down the shaft where Haru had the awful task of keeping him upright at the bottom, bracing a braindead boy with a head wound in his arms until Rei could open the hatch.

Haru shivered as they dragged him inside, face pale and hands shaking. "Okay, what now? What's in here that could save him?"

Rei swept his arm across a table full of loose mechanical parts, spilling them across the floor so he and Gatchmon could throw Ken on it.

"I hope this won't jeopardize your work." said Maki, sliding through the doorway before Hackmon bolted it shut.

"Hey, we're trying to save this guy's life!" Gatchmon shouted. "What's more important?"

"Who are you asking?" Maki turned to Haru. His eyes widened and his mouth trembled.

"This won't compromise Yuujin," Rei insisted. All eyes turned to him. He drew a few breaths before admitting the truth: part one of his plan ended the moment Izzy left the room.

This was part two: "This is how we bring Yuujin back."

"What?!" Haru shouted in horror. "What do you mean?!"

"We confirmed Ken's brain completely shut down. We confirmed Revivemon can't help him. There's nothing we can do for him."

Haru was still in shock, but Maki's mouth curled into a wide smirk. "You're going to reformat his brain and install Yuujin's AI profile." Rei returned a solemn nod. "That's genius."

"That's… that's horrible!" Haru darted between Rei and Maki. "We can't do that to him!"

"If we leave him alone he'll be a vegetable," said Rei. "At least this way we can save somebody."

Gatchmon marched beside Haru. "What, you don't think they'll notice a missing body?"

"Human bodies disintegrate here when they die," said Hackmon. "Rei already prepared Izzy for that possibility."

Haru narrowed his eyes. "When did you start planning this?"

"Since programming in his life support," Rei answered, making Haru gasp. "We tried to see if he could be saved, but this was always the most likely direction."

Rei wasn't surprised at Haru's dismay, looking away, shaking his head, heaving sighs. All the terrible things Rei had to do for his brother only did so much to cushion the impact of what he was attempting.

"People believed to be braindead do come back sometimes," Haru argued weakly. "It's rare, but if there's a chance, shouldn't we…?"

"The diagnostics doctors use can't read the brain directly. I can," said Hackmon.

Haru glanced at him and lowered his head. "I just…"

"You just what?" spat Maki. She stood in front of Haru, glaring into him even before he looked up. "This is your opportunity. It's messy, but it might be the only chance you get."

He looked past her at the parts on the floor. "What do you mean? We're working on the robotics to-"

"The robotics," she mocked. "I read your books. They can make a robot sound and almost act human, but they can't make one look and move like one."

"We're getting closer," he pleaded.

"In labs in universities with equipment and experts." As Maki stressed each element, her voice cracked. "We're four idiots in a shipping container." She leaned in closer, demanding eye contact no matter how much Haru hated it. "We will never create a convincing human body for Yuujin." Maki turned to Ken, a gleam in her eye and a twist in her smile. "But one just fell into our lap."

Haru dared to look at Ken as well, repeated blinks shielding the shame of what they were doing to him. He approached the body, his disgust only growing. "He doesn't look like Yuujin." He turned to Maki. "I know that shouldn't matter but… it'll matter to him." Maki stared at Haru, cheating a couple times at Ken. Her smile fell, the mania fading from her eyes.

With a heavy shudder, Rei answered, "I… have a plan for that," he mumbled. Maki raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Rei?" Haru asked softly, continuing to stare at Ken. "Is this the only way?"

Rei looked down at the scattered loose parts. They were a mess even before he swept them to the floor. "You know the robotics better. But if you ask me…" He blinked. Why else would have launched down this dark path with so little hesitation? "She's right. This is your best hope."

Haru hovered over the body, his face somehow with less color than Ken's. He had all the information and two reliable opinions. This was his decision, and Rei gave him all the time he needed. Gatchmon stood in hushed silence, too petrified to attempt to influence his appdriver. Maki's eyes had more scrutiny. Everyone knew where she landed.

Rei sympathized with the difficulty of the decision. He recognized the sketchy ethics and Haru's reluctance to bend for them. But after bloodying his hands for Hajime, he wondered why Haru expected to get Yuujin back and still survive clean.

The wait finally broke Maki. "Haru? Do you want this or not?" Her voice mixed fear and sadness as much as anger.

Mouth dry, Haru whispered, "I'll get his file." He turned around to sit at his computer.

The exchange happened in silence. Haru exported Yuujin's code, Rei and Hackmon connected it to Ken, Maki monitored the subject. Other than a command or a status update, nobody spoke. Haru refused to peel his eyes from his monitor, even after the transfer began and his job was complete.

"Maki?" Rei asked as the transfer neared completion.

With two fingers under the subject's wrist, she nodded. "Everything appears stable. But what about the wound?" She and Rei both eyed his head and the sloppy dressing Nene gave his injury.

"You said you had a plan for his appearance," said Haru, barely over a mumble. "What if he wakes up?"

Rei took a deep breath. "Haru? You should get some air. We'll do the rest. I'll contact you when he's ready."

Haru stood, but said, "Rei… whatever you're about to do… I can be part of it. We're both doing this. You don't need to shield me from anything."

The sentiment made Rei choke up, but he held firm: "Get out. Please." He stared into him for only a few seconds until his inevitable surrender with Gatchmon.

"I'd prefer to stay," said Maki. Rei didn't question it. He needed it anyway.

As Hackmon dislodged himself from the subject, Maki asked, "So how are you going to pass him off for Yuujin? If everyone believes this boy died, we can't let him wander the castle."

Rei froze. Suddenly he sympathized with Haru's dilemma far more. This was his. Hacking into a body clinging to life and rewiring its brain was nothing compared to the final step. It was why he couldn't let Haru see it. When the tight lips unseal and others inevitably discover what they'd done, he could imagine the scandal and shame. He didn't care about it. But while the mob wouldn't burn their torches hotter over this last part, for Rei it was beyond the pale.

"Rei?" Maki asked again, snapping him back to the cold reality and unfortunate necessity.

"It's too late to back out now, Rei." In a weird, unfeeling way, Hackmon's words were comforting.

Rei pulled out his appdrive, closed his eyes, and announced, "Appmon chip- ready."

The rest was in Biomon's hands.

* * *

Takato Matsuki didn't grasp how tenuous the situation was until seeing the funnel cloud approach the settlement himself. Vague notions of a "digital anomaly" didn't strike fear in him the way the cyclone representing it did. Were they supposed to stop it or help pick up the pieces once it passed through?

"Takato…" Guilmon groaned. "…I don't like that thing."

"Me neither, buddy." The tamer scratched his partner's head.

"So what's the plan?" asked Yolei. Takato waited for someone else to answer before realizing this was his command. He usually didn't have a problem leading. Usually the objectives and solutions were more concrete.

Facing his teammates, he said, "Okay, uh… I'm not sure exactly what they want us to do about this. We'll check in with Mr. Sampson first and follow his lead. First priority will be making sure everybody at the settlement is safe." He turned to Guilmon for approval. Guilmon kept staring at the storm.

On the ground, Takato jumped off Imperialdramon first and rushed up to Sampson. Behind him, Spencer, BanchoLeomon, Megumi, and PawnChessmon watched the storm's progress behind him. With an unnecessary salute, Takato said, "Response team is here, sir!"

"Good," boomed Sampson. Everything about the man intimidated Takato, even the little Kudamon around his shoulder. "We estimate the storm arriving in less than five minutes. I need some of your team to stay up here. The rest go inside and make sure everybody is taking shelter and ensure there are suitable provisions."

"Okay, uh…" Takato pointed to Rika. If he had to trust someone to battle a tornado… "Rika, stay up here. Davis and Ken? Keep Imperialdramon ready just in case." The DNA partners nodded back as Takato led the rest of his team inside.

Downstairs, Mina and Catherine ordered them to go around each of the upper floors and make sure any stragglers found the basement. Takato assigned himself and his teammates a floor and they sped through the task quickly. The third floor had just been installed and nothing was finished, meaning nobody to run into. As they were about to leave, Guilmon froze in front of the stairs.

"Something's coming," he moaned. "It's bad."

Takato kneeled in front of him. "Do you smell something?"

"Not smell. Feels. It feels bad."

"Uh… let's get to the shelter then. Maybe it's not so bad downstairs."

They wound up breathless running the three flights of stairs to the basement into the main hall. The hundred or so digidestined were anywhere from stoic to panicked, but mostly taking care of themselves. The five continental representatives paced the room checking on everybody. Guilmon's state still kept Takato on edge, but everything appeared to be in good hands, enough that he wondered why they were needed at all.

"There's a twister coming so stay down here, yo!" Musimon shoved two blushing Argentinians into the hall as he and Astra completed their round.

"Tora?" Eri asked, standing up from her seat near the entrance. "Since when were you on the response team?"

Astra shrugged. "We made all the videos we need and they needed help." He tapped on a portable camera strapped to his forehead. "Plus the footage is great!"

Eri raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Sure it's not punishment for trying to make out with Tai's sister?"

Yolei slid in next to Astra, a big grin on her face. "Ooh, I didn't hear about this!

Everyone's squawker crackled, mercifully sparing Astra. "Takato, get up here! We have a problem!" Rika shouted.

"On my way!" Takato replied. He turned to Guilmon, "C'mon buddy."

Guilmon whimpered. "I don't wanna…"

"What's the matter?"

"I don't want it to get me."

"If we don't go up there, it might get everybody! Let's go!" Takato gently pushed on Guilmon's neck until the reluctant Digimon took slow steps forward. Takato kept his temper in check; the idea of staring down a tornado kind of scared him too.

Outside, a flying tree nearly took them out. The tornado sliced a direct path through the surrounding woods, straight towards the settlement. Another pair of trees flew at the team waiting for it. BanchoLeomon lunged forward and pounded them both into splinters. BishopChessmon stayed on guard guarding the group.

"Yep!" Takato had to shout to be heard over the howling winds. "That's a problem!"

"No, you idiot! It's Renamon!" Hunched behind the group, Rika attended to her partner, curled up and clutching her head. Ken rubbed Rika's shoulder with an eye on the storm.

"It's calling to us Rika… it's after us," Renamon mumbled.

Takato looked at Guilmon again. His head darted back and forth as if shaking away painful pests. His pupils were tiny, swollen veins surrounding them. "No… no… I won't leave Takato…"

"Positron Laser!" Imperialdramon flew in from the side, firing on the cyclone. Nothing happened.

Cradling Guilmon, Takato said, "So we really are fighting a tornado, huh?"

"Does that look like a real tornado to you?" asked Spencer.

"I've never actually seen one in real life."

Raising his voice, Ken said, "Tornadoes are more erratic. They swerve. And they're faster."

Spencer nodded. "This thing's too slow. And it seems to be pointed right at us."

"Well, whatever it is, attacking it did a whole lot of nothing," said Takato. The cyclone neared the end of the tree line and would reach them in minutes. Already he could feel the winds tugging at him. If they couldn't stop it, they needed to take cover fast.

"Maybe we need more firepower," said Kudamon. He looked at Sampson. "May I?"

"DNA Charge- Overdrive!" On his partner's command, Kudamon hopped off Sampson's neck, becoming his Mega form Kentaurosmon before landing on the ground.

He bounded forward and leaped into the air, firing arrows of light at the storm. "Inferno Frost!" Even his power couldn't break it up or change its course.

"That's not strong enough either!" shouted Takato.

"He's a Royal Knight!" said Sampson, gritting his teeth. "He can go toe to toe with Gallantmon but not this?!"

"Wait, what's that about-?"

"Maybe we should get out of here," said Ken, eying Renamon, still wild-eyed and frantic.

"Richard's right," said Spencer. "Two Megas should be able to take down a regular tornado. This isn't working."

Whatever it was, the tall spire of dark wind swept past the end of the tree line and into the clearing. Guilmon started to scream. "No! Get away from me!" Renamon's cry echoed him.

Takato had seen enough. "I'm getting Guilmon out of here!" He wasn't much use anyway, so he pushed up his partner's rear and shoved him forward. "Just get away from it, okay?!" He trusted Guilmon to run faster without him.

"I need to leave too," said Renamon. "It… it hurts too much."

"Okay, just… don't let it get you," Rika said, hugging her. It hid the tears.

"Renamon, run the other way." Ken pointed in the opposite direction from Guilmon. His eyes were on the storm. Renamon didn't hesitate, pulling herself off Rika and fleeing.

As she caught her breath, Rika asked, "The other way?"

Ken kept focusing on the cyclone. It slowed down, but enlarged to nearly three times its width. Everybody froze, even as the expansion complicated a retreat. Instead, separate gusts broke it apart. One tornado became three. One charged at Guilmon. One followed Renamon.

The original resumed its original speed and continued toward the settlement.

"The other way, huh?!" Rika shouted at Ken.

"Up there!" Spencer pointed to the cloud between the three vortexes. It glowed a faint, unnatural blue before the approaching tornado forced them to take cover.

BanchoLeomon had other ideas. With a vicious roar, he leaped high into the air toward the settlement, running along the wall and somehow gaining altitude until he reached the roof, then bounded ahead towards the blue glow, his fist at the ready.

"Flash Bancho Punch!"

Then he disappeared, his battle cry muted amid the deafening winds. With BishopChessmon protecting them, the humans had just enough space between two of the tornadoes to avoid danger, but their escape path forced them away from the building. They were left helpless as the first cyclone plowed into the settlement, ripping away at the wall and shredding it like fabric.

* * *

Matt Ishida knew there was a far bigger crisis around the castle. Therefore he didn't mind getting pulled away to settle a minor dispute between Sora and Ewan. In fact, the idea of Sora and Ewan having a disagreement requiring his arbitration was so curious he kind of looked forward to it.

He did not look forward to sharing the decision-making role with Ryouma. "I don't know what this is about, but I wish we had judicial robes to look the part," the hunter said with a cocky grin.

With the meeting room occupied by everyone waiting for updates on the Ken situation, they resorted to turning the middle of the kitchen into a courtroom. Even in the middle of a serious dispute, Sora and Ewan agreed to the terms and procedures for resolving it themselves.

The two litigants huddled in separate corners with their Digimon partners. Ryouma threw Matt a look of amusement. Matt's was more confusion. "Okay, are either of you going to tell us what we're doing here?"

Sora and Ewan looked at each other and blushed. "You have to decide which of them go back to replace Mimi, of course!" answered Biyomon.

Matt snapped at Ryouma. "I told you to figure that out a week ago."

Ryouma shrugged, still wearing a wry smile. "Slipped my mind. Besides, this is a far better way to settle it."

"Is it?" asked Damemon.

"Yes, this is far more entertaining. So do you both want to go or do you both want to stay?"

"We both want to stay," answered Sora.

"If you could add 'Your Honor' to the end of your statements…"

"We're not doing that," replied Ewan. He turned to Sora. "You couldn't have just had Matt decide? He ranks higher."

"Don't you think Matt would have a bias?" Sora asked. Matt lowered his head. He probably would.

"Uh…" Ewan stared at him and raised an eyebrow. "Probably, but I don't know if it's for or against you."

"Neither do we so we're not taking chances," said Biyomon.

Matt grunted. "How about you tell me why you want to stay so we can figure this out?"

Sora blushed, then looked down. "Um… yes."

Ryouma raised a finger. "Yes, _Your Honor_."

Ignoring him, Sora took a deep breath and started, "Well, I came here to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. Working under Jeri was safe… and a little routine, and Isthmian offered something different. I'm working with different people here, we have different problems here… I have to be on my toes a little more."

"It's basically the same job," said Matt.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, but it… the process is a little different. And I guess if Ewan goes I have to take over in the kitchen anyway? That's different. I would be okay with that."

"Interesting… so you didn't come up here because you were dating our commander?" said Ryouma. Annoying as he was, Matt was grateful he asked instead.

"No," she insisted. "I mean…" she caught herself and restarted. "If I went back right after that ended, it's like that's all it was really about, wasn't it? I want to show I'm still a part of this team. That's important with what we're up against."

Matt realized then he really did have a bias. He really had assumed Sora would run back, and that Mimi's retirement was lucky timing, or even planned between the two. He wasn't convinced sticking it out here was the best idea for her, both for her happiness and safety, but he was sure she considered both before reaching her conclusion. Honestly, he admired her commitment to the duty she pledged to the castle, and her insistence this wasn't all about Takuya, whether he believed it or not.

Still, he couldn't reach a conclusion until Ewan presented his case. He eyed Sora nervously, then took a deep breath and faced the mediators: "I… have reason to believe I will be greeted with a hostile work environment if I was to return. I, uh, don't want to cause any distress down there, but it feels inevitable due to, uh… circumstances beyond my control."

None of this held water, and Matt had to call him on it: "You were fine down there before. What happened?"

Ewan sighed, his head dropping. Ryouma smirked. "Oh… this is about Airu, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ewan conceded. "It's just going to be bad, trust me. Somebody's going to get hurt."

With a tongue cluck, Matt said, "We get our feelings hurt all the time."

"Matt should know; we've all heard his music," Ryouma added.

"I don't mean our feelings!" Ewan pleaded. "Somebody is going to be physically hurt if we have to live in the same place! We-" He checked himself. "She is not stable!"

Matt cringed. "I… don't want the details…"

Ryouma smiled. "I certainly do, but that's sufficient enough for a ruling."

Agreeing with nod, Matt said, "Based on that, I think Sora should stay." Ewan didn't react. Sora returned an appreciative smile at him, bright enough to make him turn away.

"Oh I disagree, I side with Ewan," said Ryouma.

Ewan's head popped up in confusion. "What? Seriously?"

"With all due respect to Sora's quest of self-discovery, you raised a genuine security concern."

Sora furrowed her eyebrows. "You didn't think he was exaggerating about that? I thought you and Airu were on the same team!"

"Yes, and I'm well aware she's completely mental. We're all lucky to be away from her." Ryouma turned to Matt. "Is my testimony enough to change your mind?" Matt glanced at Sora again and answered no.

"Wow." Ewan shook his head. "I expected that to go the other way."

"But that's no good!" Damemon shouted. "We still have to settle this!"

Sora frowned. "If Matt and Ryouma can't agree either, there's only one fair way to decide."

"Indeed." Ryouma smiled. "Damemon and Biyomon will decide it in battle."

"NO!" shouted everyone else.

After several side glances at Ryouma, Matt said, "You can't do rock-paper-scissors or something?"

Ewan nodded, but Sora winced. "How about something actually random? I bet he's good at rock-paper-scissors."

"Fine. Flip a coin or draw straws or something," Ewan replied. "I just want to settle this."

Ryouma elected for the latter, as drawing straws was both needlessly complicated and involved bladed instruments. He needed a minute to even find straws.

"You run hospitality and you don't know where anything is?" grumbled Matt.

"Do you know where they are?" asked Biyomon. Matt did not answer. Ewan eventually guided Ryouma to them and a knife.

The delay didn't stop Ryouma from sauntering back with two straws between his clenched palm, an ominous smile on his face. "Ewan Amano… Sora Takenouchi…. choose your fate. Short straw is banished from the castle."

Amid many eye rolls, Ewan squeezed the end of one straw. Sora took the other. "On three?" he asked. She nodded.

"Good luck, Sora!" shouted Biyomon.

"I just hope Ryouma cut the straws right," said Damemon.

Ewan and Sora stared at each other. In unison they called, "Three… two… one… pull!"

* * *

Eri Karan reached the point where she had to cover her ears and drop to her knees. Cowering in terror wasn't a good look for her, but the howls of destruction above them shook everybody. She had no idea if the lower level of the settlement offered adequate shelter from a tornado. It never came up in the planning, no warnings from the officers about having protections in place for anything other than an attack. A few digidestined knew the drills to keep them as secure as possible, but they were still exposed and terrified as the storm mangled the walls outside.

Each new noise brought more screams, but Impmon's remained the loudest and most persistent. The repeated chorus of how it called to him and how he needed to get out would have been background noise were it not for his shrill voice. Everyone insisted he was safest down here. Eri wasn't convinced anyone was safe down here. Fear permeated the room. Impmon was loudest, but he wasn't alone.

Or was he?

As the revelation struck, so did the lights, flashing off at once and immersing the entire hall in darkness.

"Eri!" Dokamon nuzzled in closer, shivering.

She stroked his head. "Dokamon…" At first she was soothing, but she needed to know… "Do you hear something in your head?"

"No! Out here's bad enough!"

Eri turned to Impmon's direction, not that she could see anything. "Well this is it!" he cried over the embarrassed shushes of his tamers. "It's been nice knowing you!"

Beams of light emerged as the five reps and two remaining response team members ticked on their flashlights. "Please everyone, try to stay calm," pleaded Catherine.

Behind one of the lights, Eri spotted blond hair and a baseball cap. "Tora!" she shouted over

Astra came over and bent down. "You OK? This looks bad."

"The hell are they doing up there?"

"Failing! They can't touch it, Guilmon and Renamon freaked out and ran off, and get this! The thing split up to go after them!"

"The hell is this thing?" she blurted, breathless from the tension, overwhelmed by the cries around her.

Above them rose Impmon again: "Screw it! It wasn't nice! To hell with all of you!"

She snapped back to Astra. "Impmon and Guilmon are from the same world. Is Renamon?"

"Um…" He turned his flashlight at another. "Yolei! Guilmon and Renamon are from the same world, right?"

That light joined them. "Uh yeah… you should know that by now," Yolei replied.

"Those two and Impmon are the only ones affected!" Eri boomed, solving the puzzle in triumph.

"My dear, everyone's affected," said Hawkmon.

"Not like them though! It's like it's… going after their brains or something!"

"Going after their brains…" Yolei turned her flashlight to Impmon, still wailing in agony. "Well, if it's going after their brains, then maybe…"

"Uh, excuse me!" They all jumped at Meiko's voice, squeakier than usual. "Sorry! Some of us are hoping for an update…" She gasped at a crash above, rising above the usual howls.

Yolei clasped her hand. "Meiko! Perfect!" She dragged her towards Impmon. "C'mon, let's do something stupid!" As Meiko reluctantly followed, Yolei shouted back, "Astra, tell Takato the plan!"

Eri and Astra just stared at their departure. "What plan?!" Astra shouted.

Shrugging it off, he radioed in anyway. "Takato!" He only heard static and wind on the other end. "Takato!"

Snatching his flashlight, Eri headed for the door. "Guess we're telling him ourselves!"

"Telling him what?!" He followed her anyway.

Upstairs, the hallway had become a wind tunnel as the tornado whipped through the other end, blowing wall debris and what used to be the command room down towards them. Dokamon covered for them, punching a flying computer monitor so Eri and Astra could make the short run between the stairwell and the door.

Just inside, Takato and Rika were stuck watching it pass with Ken and Davis. Sampson, Spencer, and Megumi were closer, but had retreated away from the building.

Takato flagged them. "Been trying to reach you! I think our radios are down."

"Once it's through the hallway, it'll be right above everybody," said Ken. "How strong are the overhead supports?"

Panic crossed Eri's eyes. Whatever she was about to say got lost amid the thought of a cave-in swallowing everybody inside.

Astra covered for her: "You know how Guilmon and Renamon were freaking out? There's only one other Digimon going nuts like that downstairs!"

"Just one?" asked Takato.

"Yeah," said Eri. "Impmon."

"Impmon?" echoed both Takato and Rika.

"It's like it's trying to get in the heads of Digimon from your world."

"Not just that! The way it split up, it's almost like it was chasing them!" added Davis.

"That doesn't make any sense," said Ken. "Why would this thing only be interested in Digimon from Rika's world?"

"That's…" Takato turned to Rika. "I mean there's… there's no way, right?"

"Shut up!" Rika shouted. "Don't bring that up!"

Eri narrowed her eyes. "Don't bring what up?" she spat.

"Nothing!" Takato's voice pitched higher, hands raising in defense. "We don't know what it is!"

She raised a fist. "Are you sure about that?!"

Before it could get heated, a shout came from the other end of the building: "Hey Twisty! He's over here!" Yolei stood in the passenger side of the truck, flipping the tornado an obscene hand gesture as a terrified Meiko floored it out of the receiving dock. Ai and Mako cradled Impmon in the cart behind them.

As Astra threw up hands in salute, Eri pointed to Yolei. "Who is that? I like her."

Rika ducked away from them and raced back into the building. Eri ran after her. "Hey, what are you doing?"

She got her answer when Rika peered into the hallway, clutching the wall to avoid being blown back by the wind's intensity. Eri dared to peek herself. The tornado changed course, barreling back into the command room, but taking a different path out: one closer to the receiving dock.

Ducking back behind the wall, Rika looked haunted. "It really is after Impmon…"

Seething but calm, Eri said, "You know what's going on, don't you?"

Tears formed in Rika's eyes, but she ran back outside instead of answering.

Eri followed her back out. She wanted to interrogate the tamers more, but found the four boys staring straight up. The blue glow was pale, getting softer as the three funnels drifted further apart.

"Imperialdramon!" Davis shouted. Imperialdramon fired into it. Again, nothing happened.

Rika scoffed, doing her best to conceal her eyes. "What are you doing? You saw what happened to that Leomon. At least Yolei's getting it away from the building."

"She'll have to stop eventually," said Ken. "We have to do something."

They all jumped when the tornado ripped apart another section of the outer wall. Dokamon and BishopChessmon again jumped on duty to swat away debris.

"Is it me or is it moving faster now?" asked Eri.

"Astra… we really can't do anything?" moaned Musimon.

"We can do anything!" he replied. "…just nothing that helps."

Jumping into the air, Musimon shouted, "Music Hour!" A thin stream of musical notation stretched into the sky. He landed and said, "Yeah, that felt good." Astra smiled and high-fived his ear.

Ken clutched the Appmon's shoulder, eyes up. "Hey, do that again." Musimon did. This time everyone watched the flimsy attack sail up into the cloud. The blue glow rippled. "It… reacted."

Takato narrowed his eyes. "I don't get it. Two Megas can't touch it but a little Rookie can?"

"Standard, not Rookie, yo!" said Musimon.

"Yeah yeah, Appmon…" Takato rolled his eyes. Then they sharpened. He pointed back. "An Appmon!"

"Why would an Appmon be able to touch it instead of a Digimon?" asked Rika.

"If it works, who cares?! Appmon chip- ready!" With a big smile, Astra activated his appdrive and brought in Entermon.

Entermon aimed his speakers straight up. "Porte Melos!"

One blast broke through the cloud, creating more of a wave than a ripple, disrupting the storm cell and breaking up the cloud. The tornadoes petered out, the debris inside them falling to the ground with an anticlimactic thud.

"Huh," said Takato. "Henry's going to have fun figuring out how that works."

With the skies clear, the three DATS members joined them, one looking skyward. As PawnChessmon returned, Megumi said, "Wow Commander, that kid make you and Kudamon look silly."

Takato smiled back. "Hey hey! Astra's a professional too." He turned around. "Right?" Astra and Musimon were too busy with their victorious flossing to answer.

Spencer's eyes stayed up. "Any sign of him?" asked Ken.

"No…" Spencer sighed. "It wouldn't be the first time…"

A small figure appeared in the sky, growing larger until they realized it was falling. They recognized BanchoLeomon just before he crashed into the grass, indenting the ground.

His partner blinked. "Oh… you are alive."

"I gazed into the abyss," mumbled BanchoLeomon. "The abyss gazed back."

"Um… what?"

Eri allowed herself to be relieved BanchoLeomon survived—not that she knew he had been in trouble—but she tuned out the conversation to look at the damage to the settlement. The command room, and the dorms above it, were beyond salvage. From its entry to its exit, the tornado ripped a path so severe it looked like a giant Digimon took a bite out of the building. Clothes from the inhabited upper floor rained down, living spaces invaded and ruined. Above that, the unfinished third floor set to house more would be delayed for who knew how long. She could never celebrate with her home in this condition.

A shaky hand balled into a fist, Eri marched towards Takato and grabbed his collar. She didn't raise her fist, but she wanted to. "Okay, now what was that thing?"

As he squirmed, Takato said, "Uh… look I don't know for sure. I don't want to guess, you know?"

Her free hand pointed at the damaged building. "Look what it did to our home! We need to know what happened! Our only clue is it has something to do with your world."

"Takato, don't…" Rika said with force, despite turning away. "They don't need to know."

"Know what?" Ken stepped in, trying to take her hand. "Rika, I think you need to tell us."

She pulled away and cried, "No you don't!"

Eri stared at Takato until he shuddered and relented. "Okay, I just… I don't know how it was supposed to work…"

"How what was?" Eri spat.

"Yaddith." Takato sniffed back tears. "You need to ask Henry. He created it."

* * *

Haru Shinkai waited against the wall for news from Rei. After the first hour, he realized there were useful things he could have been doing. He could have helped maintain the charade by updating everyone on Rei's (lack of) progress or given Daigo a deserved explanation for why he was keeping their emergency responder away from the emergency. Instead he remained bolted to the wall as Rei performed the final steps to bring Yuujin back after all these years.

With that kind of time, he couldn't spend all of it fantasizing about a happy reunion. The process sickened him. They had taken a helpless kid, declared him a lost cause, and rewired him to their needs. How could anyone be comfortable participating in that?

When Haru first decided to become an AI researcher, the same moment he agreed to destroy Yuujin and save humanity, he didn't think about the challenge. Obstacles littered the ensuing six years, but he overcame every one in turn. Every success reminded him not to view Yuujin's return as a victory, but rather an inevitability.

Even without Yuujin, Haru's contributions to science made the journey worthwhile. He was still in school by the time he was pulled into the Digital World, his ambition pushing him onto research teams for priceless experience. He had small roles in some revolutionary projects. These fueled him forward, a reminder that even with a deeply personal objective, he was helping better humanity.

It didn't work that way here. He and Rei needed a secret workshop powered by a secret supply stream. His desperate attempt to get internet access to find Yuujin's data endangered lives. Their trial run kept them away from the festival where his presence was missed, especially by Eri and Astra. The journey to Yuujin rode against traffic now.

Maybe that was why he agreed to use Ken's body. He could justify every one of his actions, but they still marked ethical compromises. What was one more? Maki was right about the dim outlook of their robotics work. They could have been at it for years creating a convincing body for Yuujin, all filled with more moral dilemmas, all the while risking exposure. Ken may have been their gravest offense, but at least it would be their final one.

Haru's effort to grapple with his shame took him out of the world so much he didn't hear Tagiru run up to him. "Haru! Have you seen Rei?"

The shout jostled him out of his thoughts but he didn't process what was said. "Huh?"

He was used to intensity on Tagiru's face, but not this kind of frantic urgency. "Where the hell's Rei? I heard he was trying to save Ken, but nobody's answering from Medical! Izzy doesn't know if it's safe to open the door! All hell's breaking loose!"

Tagiru's hyperbole—if it even was—didn't sway Haru. He faced forward again and lowered his head. "Rei's in the shop," he mumbled. "Don't go in yet."

"The shop?! What about Ken?! Is he gonna be okay?!"

Tagiru could oversell any situation, but it rarely came with genuine fear. This wasn't him trying to catch gossip or get involved with Rei's scheme: he was worried about a fellow hunter. At no point had Haru registered that Ken and Tagiru were from the same world. Or that they may have had a history, or even a friendship. To Haru, Ken was another anonymous kid in the castle he didn't care to know better. He meant something to Tagiru, damning their actions further.

Haru didn't consciously send a message, but Tagiru received one anyway. He stopped asking questions, his hands stopped flailing, and the horror on his face magnified. "He… he didn't make it, did he?"

What was Haru supposed to say? That Rei did everything he could? He still wasn't convinced that was true. Silence and shame became his answer. It was all Tagiru needed for the tears to erupt.

"I'm sorry," Haru whimpered. Tagiru sprinted away, not into the castle but away from it, to the shore, releasing an angry scream along the way.

For a moment, Haru considered running after him, if only to ensure his safety and offer some comfort. But he had nothing he could say about the loss. He couldn't lie, but the truth would only hurt more. It hurt Haru, and he didn't know Ken at all.

The hatch popped open. Maki poked her head out, scanning the area once before finding Haru and asking, "He's gone?"

With Tagiru no longer in sight, Haru nodded.

"You can come down now."

Haru descended the ladder with care, wobbling hands threatening to give way the whole time. He paused to remind himself what could be at the bottom, whispered, "Yuujin," and steadied himself enough to reach the workshop.

A long blanket, one Haru had used after late night research sessions when he was too tired to return to his room, covered the body on the table. A large sheet of cardboard prevented him from seeing the head. In the corner, Rei slumped in a chair, asleep. Hackmon dozed atop a monitor.

"His head is bandaged up," said Maki. "Will be overnight. It was… quite the procedure."

Two bare feet hung over the table, further than Ken's had. "Is he… taller now?" asked Haru.

Maki nodded, moving to the other side of the cardboard. " _Quite_ the procedure."

Before the sight could make Haru more uncomfortable, a groan came from the table beyond the makeshift shield. Maki greeted it. "Try not to move too much. You've been through a lot but the worst is over."

"What happened?" asked a voice, unmistakably Yuujin's. Like last time, Haru nearly lost it. Unlike last time, there was no terror in his voice. There was weariness and discomfort and confusion, but the raw fear of being encased in something other than human was gone.

"Yuujin!" Haru cried, hands bracing the table for support, inches away from the blanket.

"Haru?" Hearing his name sent him into tears all over again. "Uh oh… whatever happened must have been bad."

A snicker escaped through the tears. Despite them, despite everything, Haru smiled. "How are you feeling?"

After a heavy pause, Yuujin admitted, "I've been better. Head's killing me. Sore pretty much everywhere. And am I on a table or something?"

"Should have brought the bed down," mumbled Maki. "We'll try to find something more comfortable."

"Just try to get some rest," Haru said, sniffling. "Everything's okay now."

From under the table, a hand poked out. It was longer, yet leaner than Ken's. Haru clutched it. Somehow, despite six years of absence and six years of growth, it felt like Yuujin's. At once, all the warmth of their bond flooded through his arm, overwhelming him with the peace and comfort he'd missed for so long. He knew who he'd see under the cover once it came off.

Everything really was okay now. With that one touch, all the guilt over the process floated away, forgotten. Suddenly, for what Haru gained, one forgettable hunter seemed like such a small price.

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 15:** **"International"**  
The international kids demand a strong response against Henry for creating Yaddith. Haru, Rei, and Maki scheme to integrate Yuujin at Isthmian. The latest casualty wears down Takuya and Tagiru.

" _I don't care if us all being freaked out and angry is an inconvenience to you."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Haruki, Noboru, and Ken are the three extra hunters who don't do much besides get in the way in the fights against Volcdramon and Betsumon. They're part of the buildup to the Quartzmon fight. Haruki is notable for being the only named male human partnered to a female Digimon (as opposed to the reverse, which is a pretty regular occurrence once Yolei and Hawkmon got the ball rolling). Ken is apparently significant enough to get his own character tag on , although all of the stories in it feature Ken Ichijouji (tagged as "Ken I.") instead.

I typically prefer to balance out the heavier stories with lighter subplots in a chapter, but the Sora/Ewan dilemma might seem especially out of place given the intensity of the other two stories. Think of it as a calming breath to the madness, but we're going somewhere important with both Sora and Ewan.

Putting Haru through the ethical wringer for Yuujin was always going to be one of the central narratives of the story, particularly as it compares to what Maki does in tri. Maki's acts are hard to forgive, but featuring these unbreakable bonds forced apart asks whether other characters couldn't be driven to similar extremes with the right prodding (hey, Henry!). Haru needed a lot of prodding, but in the end he reached a point where he could pull the trigger.

Biomon is both a reminder of the depths Rei went to find and restore Hajime and an explanation of exactly how Ken could transform into Yuujin. Versatile little maniac, him.

BanchoLeomon's mumblings about gazing into the abyss is from the random Nietzsche the Mysterious Man used to horrify Tai and Daigo in the final tri. movie, with the exact terms used taken from the dub. Again, Mysterious Man and Spencer have the same voice… and hey, Ken's there too!

Another reminder that I do have a Ko-Fi set up as arpulver and if you like the story and wish to bribe me into writing faster, donations are appreciated!


	15. International

**Author** **'s Note**  
I scheduled these next three chapters to drop away from two conventions… that are no longer happening. But we're dropping three chapters with no threat of shutdown, so plenty of reading material heading your way during the long shutdown. I was all about to say the upcoming Adventure reboot will have no bearing in the story… but you never know what sort of ideas will come about that could worm their way in.

 **Nexusworld**

 _Rise up you lonely wanderers. Rise up you hungry people._  
 _The hurricane is coming. The land will soon be flooded._  
 _The past is dead and over. Rise up now and claim your freedom._  
 _You are the sleeping giant: arise, arise, arise._  
 _\- Jim_ _'s Big Ego, "International"_

 **Episode 15**

Henry Wong shuddered as the Trailmon came to its inevitable stop. Many people encountered nausea while traveling, their systems unable to process the constant motion and frequent jolts of their ride. They were all that kept Henry from throwing up. Once they stopped, he was ready to heave.

"C'mon Henry, I'm sure it won't be that bad," said Terriermon. Nobody in the car believed him.

Tai stared out the window at the cart arriving to pick them up. "Look, let's just focus on what we can do going forward. We're here to help them."

"I'm sure they need it."

Henry eyed his partner. A reminder of the destruction didn't help. "Are we sure they want it?" he mumbled.

They disembarked and met Meiko by the cart. Tai swooped his arms around her, cradling her in a embrace. Despite taking comfort in it for several seconds, she said, "I'm okay. Nobody got hurt. Everybody took shelter." She stepped back and forced a smile. "I wouldn't have been in any danger if it weren't for Yolei."

"No trouble if it weren't for Yolei… that's a mood," said Terriermon. Both Tai and Henry glared at him.

As they boarded, Tai taking the front seat and sticking Agumon behind with Henry and Terriermon, he asked her, "So what's the mood like over there?"

"I don't know," Meiko replied. "They have a lot of questions."

"But they aren't too angry?"

She hesitated. "Well… I guess that depends on the answers."

Even before they reached the end of the woods, the damage to the settlement made Henry squirm. The command room and the dorms above it were gone, remnants of both scattered across the lawn alongside part of the building that had collapsed. They could see all the way into the courtyard thanks to mangled sections of interior wall. Stray wires dangled from the surviving section.

They drove past the response team helping the residents attempt to clean up. Meiko parked in front of the door to the receiving area.

"No power?" Tai asked.

"Not safe yet. Too many wires everywhere," Meiko answered as she parked. "They'll need it out here anyway." As they got out, she added, "Also we can't use the stairs until we make sure nothing inside will collapse."

Henry found Takato and Rika loading a destroyed computer into a wheelbarrow. They looked back for a moment, eyes filled with worry and remorse, before their heads fell down again and they resumed their work.

Mina approached them and nodded at Meiko. "Thank you." She turned to Tai. "We'll meet in the back. Follow me."

Tai turned to Agumon. "Why don't you and Terriermon see what you can do to help around here."

"Good luck, Henry!" Terriermon floated from his tamer's head to Agumon's.

Leaving Meiko behind, they followed Mina inside through a dim hallway. Despite no structural damage in this corner, stray papers and scraps of clothing still settled on the floor. She opened the door to a windowed corner room too small to have much functional purpose and too large to be a closet. A single table and several chairs lined it, with the only other furniture a small stand with a couple decks of playing cards atop it. The other four international representatives and Sampson crowded around the table, with Megumi seated at it with a notebook and pencil. By the time Mina, Henry, and Tai squeezed in, nearly every square inch of the floor was occupied.

The only available space separated Tai and Henry from the others. "You don't have a better room to do this?" asked Tai.

"We used to," answered Mina, straightfaced.

Tai gulped, but after a deep breath nodded at the seven. "Okay, so before we get started we should be clear that the goal is to get you guys back on your feet and make sure this was a one-time thing."

Nobody responded. Sampson turned to Henry. "Henry, what is the Yaddith program and is it true you're responsible for it?"

Henry shivered. The question cut at his weakness, launched from a voice authoritative and uncomfortably familiar. None of the other eyes in the room were any friendlier. The door was the only comfort in sight and he considered running to it. He knew it wouldn't help.

"Yaddith was a program I wrote to, um…" He fought back the swell of remorse churning his stomach. "…pull our Digimon back to our world."

He couldn't look at them but sensed everyone's eyes on him. "With a tornado?" said Michael.

After a few false starts, Henry answered, "It… was a modification of some programs that had similar…" He fished for a polite term. "Disruptive effects across the two worlds."

"You knew it would be disruptive?" the African rep asked.

"I ran it in testing environments." Henry couldn't even close his eyes as memories of those crept in. "So yes."

"I don't understand," said Mina. "You created a program with such a devastating an effect on the Digital World, with the intent of hunting down your partners?"

Henry kept his eyes down, refusing to answer. His shaking hand balled into a fist.

Catherine shook her head. "We were chosen to protect the Digital World, not destroy it."

"That's why I couldn't activate it." He looked up again, hoping to find safer ground. "I had days where I thought about it, days where I woke up swearing I was going to do it. Lord knows the others wanted me to."

"The others?" Now Tai got in on the questioning, to Henry's surprise. "You mean Takato?"

For all the dread he carried, it was the first time Henry panicked. He regretted Yaddith's existence, but could at least take comfort in knowing he never unleashed it. Even its appearance here wasn't because of his actions. Had the gun been in Takato or Rika's hands, things would have been different. The only way he could defend them was not to incriminate them in the first place. One frustrated mumble ruined that.

Less certain now, he deflected as well as he could: "We all knew about it. I don't even think I came up with the idea. It gave everyone hope, you know? I think Suzie even told Ai and Mako."

"What positions does this group hold?" Sampson asked Tai. Henry's eyes widened. Now they all were in trouble.

Tai shifted in his seat. "Uh… well, they're all over the place, you know?" Hesitating, he asked, "Why?"

"Yeah, why does that matter?" Henry could handle a small amount of blame at him, but protecting his team needed more force. "None of us wanted this to happen. We didn't bring it with us. And we all knew it was a last resort. Here we didn't need to. "

"But you were ready to," said Mina. Her voice only raised slightly. That's all it took to read her fury. "Your entire team was prepared to destroy part of your Digital World for selfish reasons."

"Selfish?! These are our partners!" he cried. "Can you imagine a world without them?"

"Yes. Because that was our world for years."

Henry froze, eyes drifting across the table. Even Sampson and Megumi nodded in agreement. He understood why they didn't sympathize. No doubt they were close to their partners, but Henry and his friends became part of their Digimon. To separate from them was to separate part of themselves. Yet if he said that aloud it would sound dismissive. He couldn't afford digging an even deeper hole.

Nobody wanted to help him. Even Tai, Mr. "focus on looking forward," refused eye contact. Henry had to apply his advice himself: "The important question is why did it show up now? And why did it target you guys? If it was looking for our Digimon, our castle has more of them."

The Brazilian rep raised a hand. "Another question is why could only an Appmon touch it?"

Henry sighed. "I wish I knew. Obviously I didn't know what Appmon were when I programmed it."

"But you planned to unleash it in the Digital World," said Sampson. "Did you protect it against a response from other Digimon?"

Freezing, Henry's eyes glossed over. "Yes," he answered meekly. "There were anti-Digimon defenses programmed."

After a long pause to let the answer soak in, Michael moved on, stone-faced: "You said you didn't do anything to bring Yaddith here?"

"Of course not! There's no reason for it to be running here."

"But it would still exist here," Sampson declared.

Megumi nodded along. "Right, the network has stuff from every world. That would include Yaddith."

"So it got activated somehow…" said Michael. He turned back to Henry. "But if you and your friends were the only ones that knew it existed, who else could find it? It's not like you looked it up."

Henry's involuntary wince caused all of the reps to widen their eyes and straighten their posture. If not for the table, someone may have lunged at him. "Um… I did, uh… pull up the source code last week."

"Why would you do that?!" Catherine asked.

"I don't know! I was just wondering if it was still there! It's been on my mind lately." He clutched. "You know, hearing about all the Maki stuff."

"Well…" Mina huffed. "Having survived the 'Maki stuff,' and now this, we have many concerns about our security going forward."

"Who can we trust to make sure this doesn't happen again?" added Michael.

"Hey, we'll be on that!" Tai almost jumped out of his seat. "We're great at researching stuff! We'll look at where this came from and what might have let this thing loose and we'll shut it down! We're pros at this stuff."

If Tai expected everyone to fill up with reassurance, he had to be disappointed by the empty stares in return. "Research…" says Mina. "For our records, who is your head of research?"

"Um…" Henry raised a tepid hand. "That would be me."

Everyone at the table let out a deflated sigh, almost at once. With some hesitation and a heavy grimace, Michael said, "Um… that might not work for us."

* * *

Rika Nonaka needed a drink in more ways than one. The hard day of cleanup left her dehydrated and sweaty and ready for whatever refreshments were available. The continued lack of power and compromised water filtration system left resources scarce. She needed Renamon to find something, anything, for them. The stares and silence she and Takato received left her hoping for something harder than water.

Renamon's delivery didn't hack it: "Milk?" Maybe after the bath she'd take the second she got home, but here? Parched with plenty of work left?

"They're out of water and don't want it spoiling before the power's back." Renamon took a long swig of her own. Rika did too, suppressing the urge to throw up.

Staring into her bottle, Renamon asked, "Is it really true? That the tornado came from your plan for finding us again?"

Rika glowered. One good glare could keep the random international from asking her about it. Renamon was harder to dodge. And who fed her this information in the first place? With a scoff, she answered, "It wasn't my plan. It was Henry's. I just wanted you back. I didn't care how he did it."

"The way it called to us… it was a painful feeling. A helpless feeling. It made us believe it would draw us in no matter how hard we resisted."

Flinching away, Rika said, "I didn't think it wouldn't hurt that much. I didn't know what was involved with it."

"But you didn't care either."

Her head snapped back to her partner. "What are you saying?!"

Renamon stayed calm. "I don't know." She looked down. "It just raises questions."

"Well don't worry so much. We're together now, we survived that thing, and I need to find something else to drink."

She stormed off, certain she wouldn't find anything but needing to get away from the conversation. If Renamon wasn't going to offer support, Rika didn't need to be around her. Instead she found Ken, talking to one of the American digidestined whose name she never learned. When she tried to join in, the American gave her an uncomfortable look and excused herself.

With a grunt, Rika said, "Seriously, what's everyone's problem?"

Ken took a long time to answer. "Given how bad this was, I can't blame them for looking at where it originated."

"It didn't come from us. We didn't send it here."

"But your team made it. And you wanted to send it to your Digital World."

Rika glared, not at him, but at a fixed point in the trees. She was sick of defending herself. Around Ken, she knew she didn't need to. "So?" she spat.

Again, Ken waited to answer. She felt his eyes on her. "Maria says we need to figure out what activated Yaddith and stop it. But they don't want Henry involved."

She scoffed. "Why not? He knows that stupid thing better than anybody. And why are they mad at him? He's the one who wouldn't go through with it."

"So… you would have?"

Her expression didn't change, even with the concern in his voice. She kept glaring, kept recalling the pain of separation, the attempt at normalizing life without her partner, and her eventual rebellion against it. Relying so heavy on a balancing force meant flipping the scales without it.

"Yeah," she said. It was the wrong answer and she knew it, even adding more venom. "I would have done it in a second." She turned to Ken. "Even now, even seeing what it actually did… I would have done it." With a defiant snort, she added, "For Renamon, it's worth it."

Ken turned pale, but she wasn't worried about his disgust or surprise. He struggled to come up with anything beyond stunned silence. If anything, it made her impatient. "What, you wouldn't do all that for Wormmon?" she asked. There were a million avenues to get him to concede to her stance. This was the gentlest.

Except he answered, "No." He shook his head, deep in thought. "At least not anymore."

"But you would have once. Right?" Rika had to keep the fire up.

Ken didn't. "Maybe… maybe when the gate stopped working. If I didn't know what it was capable of… I guess I could have been talked into it."

She allowed herself to relax a little. It was close enough. She didn't need validation, just enough middle ground to land on and stop talking about it.

"But not anymore," he added, incensing her all over again. She held it in as he explained, "Not after what happened to us. I saw what thinking like that can do to the world. I saw what it can do to us."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not like I'd go that far."

"You wouldn't?" Ken narrowed his eyes. "So what's the limit? How far would you go?" He looked over her shoulder at the wrecked walls. "If this is all right, then…?"

"I… I don't know!" Rika really didn't, and it scared her. Where did she draw the line? If it meant being with Renamon, was there a line? It only made her angrier. "What does it matter?! You bring Maki up but you were all palsy with her before."

Ken's answer came fast: "The Maki here doesn't know what she did. She probably doesn't even think it's possible. All we can do is steer her in a direction where she doesn't make those…" He took a deep breath. "…mistakes." He looked down. "But knowing what she's capable of means we have to handle her carefully."

"So what, you have to handle me carefully now? What about Takato? He was with me." Ken winced, leaning back. She kept the heat up, even more confident now. "Be real, any of us can do all sorts of nasty stuff if we get desperate enough." She scoffed. "I shouldn't have to tell you that."

Rika should have slammed on the brakes there. Really, in hindsight, she should have stopped before going _there_. Ken's eyes widened, mouth opening in shock, pained memories of both victim and perpetrator molding into one solid color of wrong.

She never noticed, blowing past it in her ranting: "And if you don't like it, if you don't get that I care enough to get dirty sometimes, just walk away. I don't need to explain myself to anyone. Not even you."

He stared back, that same tormented expression on his face. Only then did she see it. Only then did she realize how far she'd gone. She couldn't take it back. Ken obeyed her: he walked away.

Rika didn't go after him, frozen to the spot in regret and panic. She'd gotten her point across, justifying her behavior in a way he couldn't argue with. He didn't argue, after all. He didn't have to. He didn't want to. In explaining her rationale after losing Renamon, she lost Ken. Whether for a tense few hours or a day to cool down or permanently she didn't know—it killed her not to know—but it wasn't worth it. So who was she really arguing with?

"You okay?" She turned around. Ken was long gone, but Henry was there with Takato, both partnerless, the ruined walls behind them.

She didn't know how much they'd heard. Normally she'd raise her shield and snap back at such a question. Her defenses didn't click this time. She could only shake her head and ask, "Why don't they understand?" She sounded pathetic, a confused child asking about the unknowable.

"I don't know," Henry answered. "But we made this thing. And fair or not it's on us."

"We're just going to lay down and take it?" All the anger and frustration she wanted to use had been tapped.

"Will fighting it make anything better?" Takato asked. With a deep breath, he added, "What happened with you and Ken… that, uh, sounded like the talks Jeri and I used to have about it. They don't help."

Rika had to fight back tears. This feeling of losing someone so important to her, the desperate need to turn everything back and try it again, it was all too familiar. Even without actual crying, her heaving breaths were enough to draw Takato and Henry to her, wrapping their arms around her, three lonely tamers huddled as one. They could have been back home again, nobody else in the world understanding them, outcasts in broad daylight.

"So are we just… terrible?" Rika asked.

Takato tightened his hold, his head shaking. "We are what we are. It's too late to be sorry about it."

Rika pulled them in closer. Anything to not feel so alone. It was the same feeling that caused this trouble in the first place. Yet they refused to let go.

* * *

Maki Himekawa finished squeezing the jelly pouch into Yuujin's mouth. When he finished drinking, his head fell back onto his pillow. "Thanks," he said. "Guess I need to stop picking on Rei for liking those so much."

"When's Rei supposed to be back anyway?" asked Daigo, seated in the corner.

Haru didn't peel his eyes away from the computer monitor. "Soon, I hope. I don't want him to get into trouble."

"How about Tagiru?" Haru only shook his head. "Poor guy. Must have known Ken."

Maki shot him a look. Daigo piped down the moment he saw it.

"Who's Ken?" asked Yuujin, confirming Maki's fear.

"You didn't know him," Maki answered, turning away from his face, pretending to take his pulse. "He died yesterday. Bad run-in with a Scorpiomon."

"This Digital World sounds rough." She wasn't really tracking his heart rate, but she still sensed it speed up. "No doctors around, monsters everywhere. Weird place to come back to."

"This is the only place you could have come back to. It's quite a miracle actually. Took a lot of faith not to stop trying."

Yuujin smiled. "That's Haru for you."

Haru kept staring at his monitor, hiding how much he was beaming.

"So… Scorpiomon, huh?" Yuujin continued. "That's a Digimon then?"

"Yeah. Nasty thing," said Daigo. "Hey Himmy, how long did he have you three locked up?"

"Two days," Maki answered. She flashed a smug grin. "Then we poisoned his clams."

To her surprise, Yuujin chuckled along. When it subsided, he asked, "Hey Haru? Is there any chance Offmon made it here?"

Haru stopped and turned around. "Yeah! He's even got your appdrive. I was going to wait until you were on your feet but…"

Yuujin smiled back. "He could keep me company until I can move again."

"Of course!" Haru grinned as he realized Yuujin's buddy. The little jacketed puppy popped out, intimated by the cramped, crowded space. He was too cute for Maki to avoid smiling. She extended her hands. Offmon reared back for a moment, then looked up at the table and pieced it together, walking into her arms so she could hoist him up.

The bandages around Yuujin's face had come off, but his limited mobility prevented him from drawing his partner in. All he could do was greet Offmon with a smile.

It was enough to send the little guy into tears. "Yuujin, I'm sorry!" he bawled.

Yuujin chuckled, traces of tears himself. "It's okay. We knew Leviathan was dangerous." He sighed. "Can't say I didn't know what I signed up for."

Offmon lunged off Maki and onto the table, head nuzzled into Yuujin's neck. Yuujin winced, unable to bring his hands around him, but still smiling all the same.

The rush of emotion flooded Maki all at once. With just an involuntary gasp to warn her, the tears burst out of her own eyes. She stepped back and bent over, a hand covering her mouth as she cried out.

Daigo had a hand on her shoulder in a flash. "Hey, Himmy, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and sniffed. "Sorry." Despite the outburst, she still got her words out. "Just… they were apart for all those years and… they did it. They made it happen."

As Daigo rubbed her shoulder, she patted his hand and looked back at them. Offmon had picked his head up and stared back at her. "It feels good, doesn't it?" she told him. Offmon returned a teary, smiling nod. Maki smiled back, heaving a contented sigh.

The hatch opening almost didn't register with anyone amid the moment. Rei waited in silence until Haru asked him, "How did it go?"

"Fine," Rei answered. He pointed up. "Haru, Maki: let's talk upstairs."

Maki collected herself in an instant, pulling away from Daigo, who turned to Rei and asked, "What about me?"

"Entertain the patient. I don't know, talk about… sports."

As the others left, Daigo turned to Yuujin. "So, uh… how about those sports?"

Topside, Rei led Haru and Maki away from the wall, to the rocks along the shore. Haru couldn't wait that long: "Rei? Is everything really okay?"

Rei stopped and turned around. "Yes. I told them we attempted a full reset that took hours to complete. He failed to boot properly and his physical data was deleted. That's what would have happened if I tried that anyway."

"That's… good." Haru hesitated before condoning such a lie. "But what's this about?" He looked around. Nobody else was in sight. Other than their lab project downstairs, it was a normal, peaceful day.

"Answering to everyone had me thinking. What do we tell them when this new guy shows up?"

Maki raised her eyebrows, turning to Haru. "You didn't have a plan for this?"

Haru chuckled nervously. "Getting him back was the main thing. Never thought about what happens next."

"Right, so a day after somebody dies, in walks someone everyone thought was dead." She folded her arms. "That's suspicious."

"They don't know he died!" Haru pointed at Rei. "We made sure never to talk about Yuujin around anybody here. So they shouldn't know anything about him."

Maki shook her head. "So they'll notice when a new one drops in."

Rei steeled his eyes, staring down. "We could have them to transfer us to the new settlement. Convince everyone there we had one more. Eri and Torajiro would back us up."

"Um…" Haru grew uneasy. "They had that tornado or whatever it was. Eri says everything's a mess. They don't have enough rooms down there as it is. And I'd feel bad leaving Tagiru after everything that's happened."

"We also just had another death," added Maki. "They're more likely to send reinforcements here, not the other way around. That's how we ended up here in the first place."

"We could tell them Yuujin came up here to help us!" Haru deflated immediately. "But they'd still wonder why there's another appdriver."

"What if we said he wasn't an appdriver?" Rei suggested. "There are a million hunters. Some assigned to the settlement."

Haru's face lit up. "Rei! We have his Fusion Loader!" Rei nodded and retrieved it from his deep pockets. "They won't ask about an extra hunter!"

"Don't be stupid," said Maki. "Those all have different colors. Do you honestly think he could carry around Ken's digivice with no one asking questions?"

Haru stared back in disappointment but conceded a nod. "I suppose that would be a lot to explain to Yuujin."

"So he has to be here and he has to be an appdriver," said Rei, eyes off in the distance.

"Got an idea?" Haru asked with a hopeful grin.

"No. But that narrows it down enough to come up with one."

* * *

Meiko Mochizuki knew better than to interrupt, but she hated having to watch Tai in the middle of the crossfire. The international representatives didn't work in secrecy. Every piece of information they acquired interrogating Henry spread to the masses. All of the tamers faced instant scrutiny. Meiko hadn't heard about any confrontations, but the loud whispers and loaded glares in their direction revealed the anger. Honestly, she didn't have much sympathy for them. But everybody was quick to demand a strong rebuke from Tai. They quietly shunned the tamers, but Tai they outright yelled at.

The international digidestined formed a tight, united community. Given the threats from the Digital World that could crop up at any time, they had to be. But as much as they prided themselves on a common bond and their online communications breaking barriers of language and distance, they were still scattered across the globe. Incidents rarely had the same reach, isolated to a specific region and handled by the closest team. Some regions were hotter than others. While digidestined in Japan always seemed to be busy, someone in New Zealand could spend years never having to take action. But everyone still needed to know what was happening. Everyone still needed to be ready. Even the tiniest troublemaker meddling in the most remote desert defeated by the weakest team had to be reported. The team tolerated different religions, customs, and lifestyles. They did not tolerate secrets.

Meiko discovered all of this the hard way. Ironically, she didn't join the digidestined community until after her partner died. Meicoomon was too unstable to be a reliable defender, so why risk exposing her when they could hide in obscurity in Tottori until the experts could figure out what was going on? Maki, of course, strongly advised this course. So Meicoomon, and all of the poison lurking inside her, became Meiko's little secret. By the time the Odaiba digidestined saw the infection in action, she was too ashamed to admit the truth.

Still, they were more forgiving than the international digidestined. When Meicoomon sparked a global catastrophe and Meiko's existence was dramatically revealed, she had a lot to answer for. Not only had she hid herself from the only community capable of helping her, she concealed the problem until it grew unmanageable. The words stung, especially as she was still grieving when they poured in. She accepted them without fighting back. They were right: she didn't handle it correctly. Their criticism allowed her to validate her personal shame, that nagging voice reminding her she screwed up. The unconditional support from Tokyo helped keep that voice in check and allowed her to carry on, but part of her healing meant accepting her own mistakes rather than pretending they didn't happen.

Now, after taking her lashings with dignity and fighting to earn the community's respect, Meiko had to watch them go after Tai.

"The whole time we were planning this settlement, everything had to meet your approval," said Mina, eyes fixed, inches away from Tai's. "Now we're raising a serious concern about your team and you say it's out of your control?"

Tai tried to turn away. She wouldn't let him. "I mean, yeah, basically! New officers and big stuff like that has to go through the other five leaders! We set it up that way so I'm not the only one making the call on this stuff!"

"Five other leaders?" Eri folded her arms. "When's the last time you counted?"

"Yeah, we're still working that out. What are we up to now? Eight?"

Eri huffed. "So is there a point to me telling Haru we want this guy kicked out?"

"And is there no one for us to petition?" asked Mina. "We are simply not comfortable with Henry in a position of leadership right now."

"Look, I'll talk it over with them! I know you're mad at him! You just need to let us figure out what to do about it." He sighed. "I hear you, you know? But we have to do this the right way. Otherwise it's not fair."

"I respect doing things the right way. But not if it means nothing gets done." With a curt nod, Mina excused herself.

He still had to contend with Eri. After a long period of silence, he said, "Anything else?"

She kept her glare on him, but tears dotted her eyes. "A bunch of us thought we were going to die yesterday. If Tora and Yolei didn't step up they might have. I don't care if us all being freaked out and angry is an inconvenience to you." Eri opened her mouth again, but stopped and turned to Meiko. Rather than saying anything else, she marched off.

Meiko respected the frustration. Most of the international digidestined never encountered life and death situations, at least ones she didn't cause. Of course they'd panic hunkered down in a shelter, and of course they'd turn on the easiest scapegoat. She struggled to avoid joining them. But once again, Tai needed support. The same non-judgmental support he'd graced her with once.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." She stepped forward and rubbed his shoulder.

"That's good, 'cause I'm not." Tai grunted, voice rising. "Where did this come from? Blowing up part of the world to get your partner back, I just…" He turned to her, calming the moment their eyes met. "Is it that hard?"

She nodded. This was one reason she couldn't completely snap at Henry. "Losing Meicoomon still hurts. But… maybe it's easier knowing it had to happen. Maybe it was fear of becoming Miss Himekawa." Meiko choked up. Despite her words, the sadness still bubbled. The anger of being fated to a soulmate doomed from the start was a hard one to suppress. She forced it down with a loud breath and a clenched fist. "I still can't excuse what they wanted to do."

"But they didn't do it!" Tai jolted upright, back leaning away from Meiko and against the stone wall. "And it sounds like Henry was the reason they didn't do it." He shook his head as he looked at her, traces of fear and confusion in his eyes. "And it's not like he meant for this to happen. Can I really punish him for it?"

His worry made her forget her personal pain. "He is good at the job," she conceded.

"No kidding. If anyone's going to figure out what happened it's Henry. He wouldn't be easy to replace. We're lucky he was around to replace Izzy."

"What happened with Izzy?"

"Uh…" His eyes jerked away. "Long story."

Despite her curiosity, she smiled it away, hands on his shoulders. "Okay… so you have to ask all the others, and then you have to promise to figure out how us and Eri's team fit into all that, and then… uh…"

"I have to figure out how to sell whatever we decide."

"You're good at that part." She pulled herself in closer for a kiss. "Whatever you end up deciding, I'm behind you all the way."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. Finally the smile came out. A smile so perfect and hands so warm could keep her selfish frustrations bottled up forever. She wouldn't dare risk turning them loose.

* * *

Takuya Kanbara's hand shook even trying to carry out the simple task of knocking on a door. This was an easy job: organizing the memorial service of a human casualty fell to their leader. Ken was a hunter, therefore this was Tagiru's problem. Takuya's only job was to remind Tagiru of this, give him permission to order whatever he deems appropriate for the service, and make vague promises of support from the entire castle. He couldn't even stomach doing this.

After Keenan's initial investigation, everyone in the command room accepted the blips on the radar were decoys. Takuya just wanted to make sure. There wasn't supposed to be a temperamental Scorpiomon. The team checking it out wasn't supposed to prod it into a fight. Nobody was supposed to die. All of the other parties checking out the remaining blips reported back nothing. The sum result of the entire mission was no new information and one dead hunter.

To be more accurate, they learned one thing: Marsmon played mind games. The opposing forces planted bad information, chose what to allow Takuya's team to discover, and disrupted Isthmian's entire perception of the situation. The mountain raid must have been part of this as well. It couldn't have come from overconfidence or toying with an inferior enemy, but rather a tactical effort to weaken resolve and gain a strategic advantage. It was working.

Takuya couldn't guess whether the next attack would come the next day or in a month. Or whether they would ambush a small team or launch another full assault on the castle. He had to be ready for anything. Sometimes this meant doing nothing. Takuya hated doing nothing.

Maybe it was the fear of inaction that brought his fist to the door. He didn't get an answer. "Hey Tagiru! Open up!"

After another silence, Takuya heard Gumdramon inside: "C'mon, I think it's the boss!" The door still didn't open.

Gumdramon gave him an idea: "Let me in, man! That's an order!"

There was still a delay, but the Digimon pulled the door open. "Are you really allowed to barge into our room?"

Takuya stepped inside, shrugging. "I 'unno. But we gotta talk about what we're doing for Ken."

Tagiru laid prone on his bed, his Fusion Loader and goggles on his nightstand. He didn't budge even with the guest in his room. Takuya expected some sorrow over a loss to the team, but wasn't ready for full incapacitation. Especially from Tagiru. If anything, he was banking on him to be his usual ignorant self over the implications and permanence of what had happened. This ran the risk of the memorial lacking sincerity, but at least it would happen and it wouldn't be hung on the leadership.

Instead, Takuya had to play psychologist. This was where he had gained an appreciation for the concept of partner Digimon. He asked Gumdramon, "What's wrong with him?"

"Someone died."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "I know someone died. Which part of it's got him locked up? Were they friends?"

"Nah, they didn't really get along."

That gave him second thoughts about Tagiru planning the memorial, but priorities… "Okay, so what's up? It's Tagiru; I would have guessed he'd be trying to cheer everybody up."

"Yeah… me too." Gumdramon's sudden somber tone worried him. "It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."

"What, he didn't think people could get hurt?" Takuya turned back to Tagiru. "Dude, you're hurt right now! Your ribs haven't healed! You can't really think bad stuff doesn't happen here."

Finally, the hunter shifted, mumbling, "I guess I did. Hunting Digimon sounded like a really cool game."

"Seriously?!"

Fidgeting behind them, Gumdramon said, "Ehh… some of that could be my fault."

"Bad guys were trying to destroy the world! Of course it could happen. Hell, first week we got there Koji or JP or… I don't remember who, but they said someone could die." His hands rose. "And they were right!"

"No! Nobody was supposed to die!" In one impossibly swift motion, Tagiru spun around and hopped to his feet, his panicked eyes glaring back, his teeth gritted. "We just wanted to have fun and hunt Digimon and help people! It's not supposed to be like this!"

"Well, it happened! And you can't fight right now so be useful and do something to help us remember this kid!" Takuya almost regretted his aggressive tone. Maybe if he understand why this hit Tagiru so hard he would have. More of him just wanted to pass on this responsibility so he wouldn't have to think about it anymore.

"I barely remember him anyway! I can't do this!" Tears poured out as Tagiru only grew louder. "Besides, this is my fault!"

The punch came out of nowhere. Some unfathomable instinctual reaction brought Takuya's fist forward and striking Tagiru under the neck. The force almost knocked him back on the bed. His rear slid off the edge and he fell to the floor, an uncontrollable sobbing mess clutching at his chest as his heaving tested his still-fragile ribs.

"Hey!" Gumdramon jumped on the bed and pointed at Takuya. "Nobody punches Tagiru but me!"

Tagiru wasn't the only one panting. Takuya stared at the lost, pitiful kid under him and whimpered a sigh. Why was he letting this become a fight? Why did Tagiru's despair anger him so much? This wasn't him. He had to get out.

"Just… just do something for him, okay? God…" he mumbled, backpedaling out the door even before he finished. Takuya slammed the door shut behind him and pounded the wall. He forced himself not to cry or admit how much he wanted to. Leaders didn't do that.

He staggered down the hall. The few people he passed gave him plenty of space. Had anyone asked about his well-being, he wasn't sure if he'd punch them too or fall apart in their arms. He had nowhere to turn, no answer to his problem, and no one to blame but himself.

Stumbling into his room and falling onto the lone bed inside, he wondered how he looked compared to Tagiru. Maybe someone else would force their way in and find him in the same position. No… he wasn't that lucky.

All he could hear was one voice. Hers: "You can't do this by yourself. You need help."

* * *

Davis Motomiya was happy to hear the knock at his door. He wished he could have spent more time at the settlement. They had plenty of bodies to help with cleanup and utility repair, but he still wanted to be among them. Even more than that, he hated only hearing about the tamers after the fact. Henry ostracized at the settlement? Rika and Ken fighting? His only views of it came from vague texts from Ken and a guarded chat with Takato after Tai sent the response team home the next day. It was difficult to make sense of. Davis figured an outsider's perspective might help, and no one was more outside than Rhythm.

As she sat upright on the bed, he leaned back on his elbows next to her. "So yeah, Henry built something to destroy the world, Ken's upset with his girl, and everybody's just kind of pissed off."

Rhythm chuckled. "I wonder who flipped on that program here."

He sat up a little. "Oh… yeah, any clues about that? I guess Henry was looking at it the other day but nobody turned it on."

"I don't know. It could be Algomon. It existed on the network already so it wouldn't take much for him to set it loose."

"Think you can look into it and let us know?"

"What's the fun in that?" Her tone was far too playful for such a threat. "I hope you're not being nice to me so I'd fix all your problems."

Kari's face was stone as always, but Davis imagined a devilish grin on a younger girl's face. He fell back again, close to laughing. Who would have thought a god trolling him could be fun?

"So your friend's having girl trouble?" Davis raised an eyebrow at her. She chuckled again.

He obliged. "Well yeah, she was okay with doing all that to the Digital World and she's not even sorry about it. Like how do you think he's going to feel about that?"

"Hmm… that's a tough one. Ken used to be the Emperor, right?"

"Wait, hold on…" He sat up to be level with her, wearing his own grin, a chance to tease back. "You won't help us with the big stuff but you'll help Ken with his girl problems?"

"Of course, that's way more of a challenge!" Her cheek had him grinning for a different reason. She didn't have to be serious or professional or distant. Strip away the need for all those and Rhythm could be cute and fun. It was fascinating.

"And I guess I'm sort of a girl," she added.

Stupid a reason as it was, something clicked on inside him. They hadn't talked about anything meaningful, neither doing anything to solve each other's problems. Yet he was enjoying her company far too much. It became the best time of his day, whiling through his shifts in hope of hearing that knock at his door. Heaven knew it wasn't about thinking of Rhythm as a girl per se, but that it opened the door to consider her something more reachable than a god.

Whatever dumbfounded expression he had on his face, it forced her to break the silence: "Though I suppose I'm not a girl like Rika though."

"You're way better than Rika," he mumbled.

"Hey…" Rhythm hesitated, putting more care into her words. "Just because she… well, was willing to damage her world for her own benefit… and not a god and all…"

"I don't care that you're a god," he said, staring into her eyes. He didn't see Kari. He didn't see the hued lenses. He saw Rhythm, a playful optimist with a cool job, absolute faith in mankind, and a lonely existence he could offer a respite from. "I just… like hanging out with you. I wish we could do it more. I… I wish you didn't have to borrow Kari for it."

"I… wish I could too." He waited through her pauses, no matter how long. " I never thought about it until I started spending time with you." Davis drifted closer to her as she continued. "How nice would it be to have a real form there? To… sense things. To be around… people." He was inches away now. "Around you…"

Davis leaned in further. His heart pounded, each beat urging him forward to take her hand and just kiss her already. More of his weight fell on his arm, enough to buckle just slightly, causing the tiniest flinch. It was enough to remind him who was really in front of him. He couldn't go further. It ached.

He had nothing left to say either. Everything he would have normally told her should have been done through his hands and lips. Rhythm wouldn't have received them. And he knew, just from her hushed, inviting voice, she wanted to.

Rhythm's head drifted down and she blinked. Kari's eyes returned, confused and groggy, but open. She fell forward. Davis's hands shot up on instinct to catch her.

When he did, her head perked up again. Kari blinked a few more times. Her eyes only opened halfway but she was awake.

"Kari?" Her consciousness confused him, enough to replace his disappointment.

She surged forward and kissed him, one arm reaching up to clutch his. It was just forceful enough, direct and natural. They breathed it in together, a fit as perfect and wonderful as he had always imagined a kiss from Kari to be. Davis received it and returned it. He wanted a kiss, and he got one. Part of him wondered why it was from Kari; the rest wondered _if_ it was from Kari.

He prolonged it as much as he could, but she pulled away in time, letting him see the broad, bashful smile on her red face. Her eyes strayed down, still refusing to open all the way. He forgot how beautiful they were intact.

"Kari?" he asked, this time in a low whisper.

She shook her head. "I don't know." She leaned in again, this time just a quick peck. "I don't want to think about it." She took a slow, controlled breath. "Can we just leave it there? I'm… pretty tired."

He was still perplexed, but sleeping on this sounded like a smart idea. He was already looking forward to his dreams. "Can you make it back to your room?"

Kari frowned. "I guess, but… I'd rather stay here?" He barely got a nod out.

Davis gathered his senses enough to stand up and pull back the covers for her to slide into. After some hesitation, he joined her on the other side. It wasn't the first time they'd shared a bed. Before it was an unfortunate effect of Rhythm or some random horrible event they needed to console each other through. This time it was a choice and desired.

As soon as he was in, she slid closer to him, a hand finding his chest in the dark. Before he'd always been so careful not to overstep he never appreciated her warmth. He draped a hand over her arm, his eyes adjusting to see the peaceful smile on her face as she drifted off. Davis settled in and let his head fill with thoughts of the beautiful soul next to him, whoever she was.

* * *

Kenta Kitagawa wasn't one to show off. He had learned that lesson from Kazu, whose efforts at bravado were either quickly upstaged, rendered irrelevant by someone more talented, or ignored entirely. He was useful when he could be and smart when he had to be, but shied away from puffing himself up. MarineAngemon, on the other hand, never passed up an opportunity to impress.

That's how they ended up floating in a red bubble high over the tree line with Angie, Suzie and their Digimon. It started out simple enough: now that Angie had a Digimon to herself, she could go outside the castle without having to borrow someone else's. Kenta, ever the worrier, didn't think an In-Training like Pusurimon was capable of any sort of protection. He offered to go with her. Angie, interpreting every gesture he made as an attempted date (she was only wrong half the time), declined in favor of Suzie. Suzie countered by suggesting a MarineAngemon-powered bubble ride, which the little Mega was all too happy to provide and Angie liked too much to pass up.

The early morning jaunt was so peaceful and offered such a great view that Kenta kicked himself for never trying it before, especially offering to take Angie. Despite the pink barrier between them and the woods and rivers below them, her eyes were fixed on the outside world. She held Pusurimon up, pointing out unique landforms or colonies of Digimon starting their day. He was afraid to interrupt, doing so only once, tapping her on the shoulder, pointing, and saying, "Hey, ever seen Alraumon before? They're like Palmon, just kind of meaner."

Angie loved the bird's-eye view of a half-dozen purple-petaled Virus types rooted in the lush grass near a river. "Isn't that cool!" she said to Pusurimon. "Palmon's grumpy sisters!"

"They aren't actually related," said Lopmon. "They just look alike."

Suzie chuckled, and Angie joined in, hugging Pusurimon tighter. That smile stayed through the whole trip, her spirit as airy as the bubble they floated in. Kenta was happy to see it again. It wasn't her first smile since her demotion from upstairs, but it was the first with a glow, maybe ever. This was a newer, brighter Angie and he loved it. He wished he could say part of it was due to his partner's homemade balloon ride, but he knew the real reason all too well.

"Lower! Lower!" Pusurimon chirped. "Let's go right over the ground!"

"Even better!" Suzie pointed down. "Right over the river!"

"Yes! Perfect!" Angie cheered.

Kenta ordered them down to the creek below, a shallow tributary of the bigger supply river. At a low enough elevation, hovering over it felt like walking on water. They all leaned in, trying to stay as low as they could to the bubble. A pair of trees leaned over each side of the book. Suzie shouted, "Go under them!" Kenta obliged.

They noticed a problem only after it was too late to avoid it. Sunlight angled just right for them to catch the glare off webbing between the two trees. The bubble powered into it, and despite how thin it was, it not only held together against the impact, it trapped the bubble in a pocket, the top ends folding around to envelop the six of them and pop their ride.

"Who put this thing here?" Angie cried, still cradling Pusurimon, her head wedged under Suzie's armpit.

"MarineAngemon, can you get out?" asked Kenta.

"Tight!" his companion replied. It couldn't fit its head between the gaps.

"Lopmon, cut us out of here!" said Suzie.

Lopmon was at the bottom of the pile, head squeezed between the webbing and Kenta's rear. "Using an attack now would be a very bad idea, Suzie."

They tried to shuffle positions, but the net jostled with every move, only entangling them further. Lopmon remained underneath, now sandwiched between Angie's legs. "This is becoming a problem," she mumbled.

"I don't want to meet whatever put this up," Angie groaned. "If it's a spider…"

Interest piqued, Kenta snared the fingers of his one movable hand around the string. "It's not. This isn't silk. It's like mesh or something."

"Mesh?" repeated Suzie. "What Digimon puts up mesh netting?"

They got their answer: below them, Airu tapped her feet angrily. "Do you idiots have any idea how long it takes to set up mist netting?"

"Of course it was you…" Angie muttered.

Airu returned a sweet smile. "If by that you mean no one else is as smart or is as dedicated to finding cute Digimon, I'm guilty as charged! I heard Pipismon like to fly through here at night." The smile became a scowl. "I heard nothing about you three."

Opossummon floated up to them. "Let's throw them back in the river, Airu!"

"Whatever, just get us down," said Kenta.

Folding her arms, Airu said, "What makes you think you can spring a trap and just walk away?! That's so rude! I deserve something for my trouble!"

After tugging on the net to no avail, Kenta groaned, "What do you want?"

"Let's see… cute bunny… cute hedgehog… cute…" She peered in at MarineAngemon. "I don't know what that one's supposed to be but it's adorable. They're no Pipismon but I'll take any of them. I'll even let you pick." Airu flashed a bright smile. "Fair trade-off, right?"

"We're not giving you nothing!" Suzie shouted back.

"Exactly! Give me nothing and you don't get out!"

As they bickered, Pusurimon tried to wiggle out of Angie's arms. "Let me out, I want to help!"

Angie clutched tighter. "It's okay! I won't let her take you!"

"But Angie!" It relented, but only to force her to look into its eyes. "Everyone else is stuck!"

"What, and you think you can get us out?"

"Don't you believe in me?"

She had every reason to continue panicking, but Pusurimon's words froze her. It was a bold statement for a helpless fluffball, leaving her staring in awe as the trouble around her carried on. "Please Angie. Trust me."

The hesitation subsided. "O… okay," she said, voice hushed.

That was all it took: "Pusurimon digivolve to…Herissmon!"

His fur didn't change color, but his nubby spikes became proper spines as he grew into a full hedgehog. Luckily for everyone he rose to to the top of the pile before he poked anyone. The key upgrade was a set of claws capable of tearing a hole in the mesh.

Leaping out, he fired at Opossummon: "Lightning Quills!" The balloons popped, dropping her into the creek.

Herissmon tore apart the rest of the net as Airu fished her partner out of the water and scurried off. Once on the ground, Suzie shouted, "Wait until Henry hears about this!"

It got Airu away from the scene, but Kenta said, "I think Henry has bigger problems right now."

"She doesn't know that!"

Kenta shrugged and turned to Angie. "Hey, great job getting-"

Nothing he could say would have taken her out of her moment. She held Herissmon's claws, both radiating with each other's energy. "I digivolved because of you!" said Herissmon.

Angie shook her head, nearly in tears. "And you saved us! We're such a great team!"

"The best!"

Kenta smiled, accepting a greeting from MarineAngemon and silently admiring the pair. He tried not to get emotional himself; this was the happiest he'd ever seen her. It brightened his day as well.

The younger Wong sibling had finished her shouting and joined him in watching the love fest. "That's so cute! Good for them!" Kenta nodded along. Suzie sighed. "Times like these make you remember why Henry did all that, you know?"

It caught him off guard. Kenta had always distanced himself from the Yaddith business, both past and present. He reasoned Suzie had as well. Even so, the uproar over it implicated all of the tamers. It would reach them in time. But no matter how much hate they'd get for it or how much any of them might try to walk it back, one look at Angie and Herissmon and Kenta knew how they all really felt.

* * *

Haru Shinkai steadied his nerves pacing outside the meeting room. The crafted narrative was simple enough: they just found Yuujin. How he washed up near Isthmian and why he was in a coma they didn't know, but it was important Haru and Rei verified and legitimized his identity before nursing him back to health. Stories of the dead rising rarely had happy endings, after all. Haru especially dreaded having to joke about that.

He had to stress that since everything looked okay, Yuujin didn't want to know what had happened. Investigating the circumstances meant revisiting whatever uncomfortable situations he may have been in, and it was probably better for everyone if he didn't remember them. He had _died_ , remember, and who would want to revisit something like that? Haru was to ask for a quiet integration at Isthmian, and in return Yuujin and Offmon would be a willing unit when it came time for the next operation.

"There's no way he's going to buy this," Haru mumbled to himself. Rei and Maki mixed this concoction. Haru just had to convince Takuya to drink it.

At least it was only Takuya; Maki figured it would be easier than addressing multiple officers. If he could get Takuya on board, the others wouldn't be as skeptical hearing it from him. Haru wasn't sure if Takuya's noticeable slouch and red eyes hurt or helped his cause.

"So what's up?" Takuya's eyes shifted to the door rather than Haru.

"Um… well, have I told you much about Yuujin?"

"Name doesn't ring a bell. Who's that?"

"Well, he's a really close friend of mine, and part of our team. And, uh… well, he died to stop Leviathan." Skipping over the critical details came easy. He preferred to remember it that way.

"Okay…" From his groan of an answer, clearly this was not the subject Takuya wanted.

"Or… that's what we thought." Haru trained his eyes on Takuya to gauge a reaction.

He got a tiny rise out of Takuya's eyebrows, head shifting to the door. "What, he, like, pulled a Koichi or something?"

"I… don't know what that means. Look, it sounds crazy, but-"

Takuya opened the door instead of waiting for the explanation. Yuujin and Offmon waited inside, the Appmon shaking in terror as he stared at Takuya.

Yuujin returned a nervous smile, nodding back at the leader, hand clutching a cup of coffee. "Hey," he said.

"Huh," was all Takuya said in response. He sounded more disinterested than suspicious or inquisitive.

Haru squeezed into the room. "I know it looks weird, but…"

"What, he just showed up?" asked Takuya.

"Seems so," said Yuujin. He smirked. "I'm as confused as anyone."

Before Haru could launch into the lies crafted for him, Yuujin continued, "But it sounds like you could use some help here." He patted Offmon's hat. "Offmon's tough. We'll chip in wherever you need us."

Takuya stared back for a long time, enough to make Haru worry. He turned to Haru, who slapped on an uneasy smile in response. Eventually he faced Yuujin again and shrugged. "Cool. I'll get Matt to figure out where to put you." Back to Haru, he asked, "Anything else?"

Haru stammered, "Uh… I guess not…"

"Great." Without looking, Takuya shouted back, "Nice meeting you!"

Takuya squeezed past Haru out the door. Haru wanted to call back, to say something about not investigating what happened and cement the cover-up for good. But saying anything would have been too out of place, too forced to be useful and potentially backfiring. He couldn't tell how much Takuya bought it, or if Matt or Koji or anyone else would get suspicious instead. Haru just knew he couldn't influence them any longer.

Yuujin chuckled as he and Offmon stepped out of the room. "I think that went well. So when do I get the tour?"

Haru smiled, Yuujin's simple words fading his worries. Why overthink it? Yuujin was back, upright, and healthy. Now they were free to enjoy the reward of six years of work. After fighting so hard to return everything to normal, maybe it was just hard to see that they'd arrived. If Yuujin did, Haru could too.

En route to the cafeteria for a snack and maybe some early integration with the other residents, Haru passed Tagiru's door. He hadn't heard from him in a couple days, not since Yuujin's restoration at least. "Yuujin, hold on," he said before knocking.

From the other side, Gumdramon shouted back, "No, we're not ready!"

"What's going on?"

Yuujin stared at Haru, matching his worry without knowing any of the context. Gumdramon, calmer, answered, "Oh, it's you." Yuujin snickered. Haru motioned for him to wait as Gumdramon opened the door.

Tagiru sat motionless at a desk, his chair pulled two feet out. On the desk, a notebook had "Memorial" scribbled on it with nothing else. He stared at a wall.

"It's hard, losing somebody you care about," said Haru, gracefully approaching.

The chuckle from Tagiru started out sad, but it didn't stop and even grew louder. By the time he was done, there were tears in his eyes. "Care about Ken? He was an ass."

Before Haru could respond, Tagiru ranted: "I don't know anything about him! I don't know anything about any of the other hunters! Just me and Mikey and Ewan. For a second I thought I knew Ryouma. Nope!" He turned to Haru. "But I'm their leader, I guess. So I gotta plan his funeral or something. Isn't that stupid?"

"Do you need help or something?"

"Yeah…"

Haru knew this meant he'd be doing it himself. He didn't mind. No one else knew the extent of Ken's sacrifice anyway.

With the burden lifted, Tagiru straightened up in his seat. "I just wanted to be the number one hunter. And yeah, helping people out was cool. But does being good at all that stuff really make me a leader? So I'm good at catching Digimon. How does that mean I'm good at saving the world? Or fighting in a war? Or giving speeches about kids I don't care about?"

Gumdramon jumped on the bed and sighed. "You know it was a lot easier when you didn't bother to think through all this stuff"

"Right?! It was great when no one believed in me! Nobody cared when I screwed up!" He shook his head. "It… it matters now."

Haru struggled to handle how lost Tagiru looked. This was the kid who never seemed to lack confidence, who craved the spotlight. His crisis almost deflated Haru as well. Even worse, Haru couldn't help. He wanted to lead. He wanted to be relied on. He wanted it to matter. Tagiru dreamed of the glory while the responsibility intimidated him. Haru was the opposite.

The solution was simple, and Haru buried a smile when it came to him. "It does matter. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing." He poked the door open and made a gesture. Yuujin followed him in.

Tagiru was already craning his neck toward the new friend. "Tagiru, I want you to meet Yuujin," Haru announced.

"Yuujin?" Tagiru blinked in awe, his mouth curling into a smile when Haru nodded. " _The_ Yuujin? For real?!"

Barely holding a smile in, Yuujin glanced aside. "Whatever Haru said about me, he's probably exaggerating."

Tagiru jumped out of his chair and bounced up to Yuujin, extending an eager hand. Yuujin slapped it. It wasn't what Tagiru expected, but he pulled back and laughed it off. Haru chuckled along and said, "Almost! It's, uh… fist bump, then a high five." He and Yuujin demonstrated; Haru silently ecstatic at performing their old greeting for the first time in so long.

"Fist bump, high five, okay!" Tagiru and Yuujin tried again. This time it was flawless. "Oh my God, you shared your dap! So cool!"

Once the laughter subsided, Yuujin said, "Hey, so I overheard you saying you weren't sure you should be a leader?" Tagiru's smile vanished as he nodded. "Don't think like that. If other people think they can count on you when it matters, there's a good reason for it. You should believe it about yourself. Haru taught me that." Tagiru took it in with a broad nod.

"Yuujin…" Haru blushed. "How about we finish that tour?"

"Long as there's real food at the end of it." Yuujin gave Tagiru one last smile before walking out.

Haru watched him go, but didn't move. "Man, he was wrong. You weren't exaggerating!" gushed Tagiru.

After Haru snickered, he looked down. Part of him wanted to invite Tagiru along. The thinking part didn't want to complicate the integration process. "We'll swung by later to figure out what to do for Ken."

Tagiru looked down too. All the laughter and happy tears and secret handshakes in the world brought them back to funeral arrangements. Something prevented Haru from leaving it at that. Tagiru deserved better.

"You know… this wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you," said Haru. "I would have given up and resented it for the rest of my life. You made me keep trying. You made us figure it out." He looked back up. Now the tears were in his eyes. "You saved his life." He lunged forward to wrap Tagiru up in a hug.

No matter who was waiting on the other side, he didn't want to let go until he knew Tagiru was at ease. "I needed you back then, and all the times you came through for me and Rei," he whispered. "Nothing mattered more."

* * *

Michael Barton saw the meeting as a culmination of an exhausting few days. The rubble was gone, most of the castle had power and water again, and material to reconstruct the damaged side of the building was on its way. This last meeting with Tai was supposed to put the mess behind them and offer some stability going forward. Everyone in the room knew that would be impossible.

Tai faced the five representatives alone this time. Only Megumi joined them to take notes, and even her presence seemed out of place.

The first part of the meeting was cordial, making sure everybody was on the same page on rebuilding, guaranteeing that all resources would be available, and estimating a timetable and how far it set back the overall construction project. For all the intricate details and disheartening talk of building something they had already built, at least everyone was united.

That was why he dealt with it first. Everything else in the meeting was bound to come with heat.

"The next matter is the investigation of Yaddith's appearance," said Mina, a calm, focused glare at Tai.

Tai nodded, trying not to look directly at her. "Izzy's going to head up the investigation. Henry's only going to answer questions. Um… Thomas will sign off on everything."

"But Henry keeps his job?" asked Catherine.

Head down, Tai answered, "I did what you wanted. I met with the other five leaders. Which wasn't easy: Marcus is on patrol and Isthmian's going through some stuff too." He sighed. "Three for removal, three against. Removing someone from power needs five."

Michael shook his head. He sympathized with Tai in the sense that there was a system beyond him. There was a structure, it functioned the way it needed to, and Tai was stuck delivering the bad news. Michael respected that it existed. He just would have liked to know how Tai voted.

"Only six?" The South American rep sounded more curious than suspicious. Mina eyed him, taking a deep breath before her eyes fell back on Tai.

"I already talked to Mina about this. I know we need to get some new arrivals in the room. But it's not that easy."

"Well, how did you settle on six?"

"Uh, it was Mikey's idea. Every group kind of has a leader so they can, I guess, represent his team."

"By group you mean different worlds?" Michael asked. When Tai affirmed, he added, "But Davis is one of them."

"Well yeah! You know, his guys are kind of their own team, you know?"

"Yes, more than you realize!" Catherine covered her mouth to avoid giving away her smirk.

"So how do you define a group? Or a leader?" asked Mina. "For all of us that arrived three months ago, Eri's team is the only one from a new world."

Tai nodded along. "Right, so because of that Haru would be in for sure. And Davis is in so it makes sense to include Tagiru." Tai paused and pondered. "I guess Nishijima counts too."

"Nishijima absolutely counts," said Catherine, lowering her head. "You'd do well not to forget him."

"But why them?" Mina's questioning grew more pointed. "Why Haru instead of, say, Eri? Who makes that choice?"

For the first time in the conversation, Tai leaned back and winced. He already braced himself for the response to the answer: "They're the leaders of their original teams. If anyone's going to represent them, shouldn't it be them?"

"What, and we don't have teams?" Michael asked. "I know we haven't seen as much action as you guys, but it wouldn't be hard to sort ourselves if need be."

"More than just by continent, of course," Mina added. "No one person can possibly represent everyone within Asia."

"That's your dilemma isn't it?" Catherine said, more gentle than Mina or Michael. "No clean way to divide us and no proven leaders standing out in them."

A chuckle escaped Tai. "You know I don't know what's up with all the leaders wearing goggles, but it does make us easy to pick out of a crowd."

Mina nodded along. "Well, in that case there's a Malaysian boy here with an eye condition we should be deferring to."

"Anyway, you see the problem."

"We do. Your civil structure is not equipped for our community. You expect teams who have all been in the thick of the fight to save their world. We work to prevent crises and maintain a global support network. We don't have conventional teams, therefore we lack conventional leaders. Is that right?"

"Um! Uh…" Tai hesitated, mouth attempting to response but stumbling. "Well yeah but… I mean I'm not trying to write you guys off."

"It's all right." Michael waved him off. "We came up with a solution. You can go ahead and add Haru, Daigo and Tagiru."

Tai didn't buy the false cheer. "What about you guys?"

"We will be operating independent of anyone's authority," answered Mina. She stood. Tai sunk. "The other digidestined will craft our own rules, elect our own leadership, and we will decide what's best for our group, just as your leadership decides what's best for yours."

"You can't just…" Tai shook his head. "You can't just decide you're not going to work with us."

"Oh, we'll still work with you," said Catherine, smiling. "We just agreed on a wonderful rebuilding plan, and that requires your help. We'll still be friends. But our house will have our rules, and your house will have yours."

Dumbfounded, Tai faced them again, head drifting between all five of them, all staring back, unwavering. "I'm going to have to tell the others what's going on. What if they don't like this plan?"

Michael shrugged, a smug grin forming. "Well, just ask them three questions. One: do you think we're going to go rogue and destroy the place?"

"Your officer did more to do that than any of our people," Mina added.

"And after that, two: why should any of us trust your team to look out for our best interests?"

Tai seethed, head turned and shaking, his face pale. No doubt Michael wasn't the only one of the five feeling pity for breaking him this way. He had been a reliable leader putting himself through trials they couldn't fathom for the sake of protecting their world. But this was bigger than their roles back home. Here they could no longer afford to live under the shadow of the Japanese team. They needed to do things their way. They needed to flex the might of their numbers. They needed to prove themselves. All the sympathy to Tai, sure, but their unity and ability to take a stand gave them a rush.

Confirming his defeat, Tai asked, "So what's question three?"

Mina leaned in and waited for Tai to look back before answering: "How far would you actually go to stop us?"

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 16:** **"Lipstick and Barbed Wire"**  
The patrol team encounters a new threat that might rival Yaddith. Yuujin gets his first taste of action on the front lines. Sora, Ewan, and Mimi head to new positions and new locations.

" _Bad ideas are my favorite."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Henry's uneasy feeling hearing Sampson probably has to do with him having the same voice as his dad.

Feels like I'm playing with fire talking about the internationals with a bunch of new information about their dynamic embedded into Kizuna already. I stuck to pretty safe assumptions with them. Meiko fitting into that was a nice chance to add a touch of integration to the whole scenario. I don't expect anything to tell me I'm wrong!

Lopmon's line about Alraumon and Palmon only looking alike and not being related is straight-up stolen from the running gag in Appmon. The add comes in hearing it in Lopmon's humorless monotone rather than a trolling Musimon.

Before accepting that Airu finds Pipismon cute and reading on, make sure you know what Pipismon actually look like first.


	16. Lipstick and Barbed Wire

**Author** **'s Note**  
For anyone interested in progress updates, early previews, or fic commission services, I now have a Patron set up! Patron perks are set up for fic commissions, beta reading, or even turning your story into an audio book! You can find me there at arpulver and please let me know you're here for the fic as it's mainly tied to System Restore.

 **Nexusworld**

 _I_ _'m obsessed when you're near me._  
 _I confess I get tightly wound. It's a relative theory._  
 _Ain't no way I should risk it, but every time you come around,_  
 _I play the game I've resisted._  
 _\- Eric Stuart Band,_ _"Lipstick and Barbed Wire"_

 **Episode 16**

Ewan Amano scoured every corner of the kitchen for traps even before he unpacked. Every cabinet, every appliance, every doorway carried the threat of a potential welcome present from Airu. Escaping her clutches forever was a futile thought. This was home now, and extended far beyond the kitchen to points he needed to reach but couldn't inspect as thoroughly. All he knew for certain was from the moment he arrived, he was a hunted man.

Tommy didn't go along with such paranoia, but at least helped put the silverware back in the drawers. "Part of me wants to say you're being ridiculous. But I've had times with Suzie where I've felt like doing this."

"You don't appreciate what sort of force we're dealing with here, Tommy," said Ewan, ducking under the table to check for explosives.

"You really underestimate Suzie but okay. If you really think she's a problem you can get Command to ban her from the prep area."

"There's two problems with that. One is she won't care. Two is I'd have to tell them what happened when she cornered me at the festival."

"You made out with her."

Ewan stared back, mouth agape. "How did you…?!"

Tommy met him with a bright smile. "Airu had to explain what happened to Michael, Michael mentioned something to Yolei at the festival, and once Yolei hears something like that forget it!"

"Wonderful…" he moaned.

"Do you think you might be focusing all your energy on avoiding her instead of figuring out how you really feel about her?"

In a sudden burst of rage, Ewan shouted, "I know exactly how I feel about her!"

"Good!" Tommy grinned back, undaunted. "Cool! How exactly do you feel about her?"

Ewan glared back. He wasn't lying: he did know exactly how he felt. Saying it out loud would only invite more problems.

Tommy only laughed. "And here I thought I wouldn't have any fun without Mimi. This'll be great!"

With another laugh, he walked out, his job done for the day. Ewan was grateful Mimi had already prepped a service so he wouldn't have too much on his plate his first day. This was his time to familiarize himself with the area, organize everything to his liking, and prepare for unwelcome visitors.

Half an hour later, he found himself taking a full inventory of everything in the pantry, unnecessary but a more practical obsession. New menu ideas had formed, along with a picture of what they needed for his usual options. For a fleeting moment, he was comfortable.

He didn't hear the door open behind him, so he jumped in shock when it slammed shut. There she was: no traps, no smirk, not even a partner Digimon floating alongside her. Airu looked naked without them. That only made him more anxious.

"Drew the short straw, huh?" She locked the door behind her. "Lucky you."

"Ryouma told you about that…" He gritted his teeth, voice hushed.

She shook her head. "Sora told Mimi, Mimi told TK… one of my secret microphones picked it up." Her hands settled on her pronounced hips; his eyes strayed down to them against his will. "So… why didn't you want to see me after all the fun we had last time?"

"Fun?! I…" Thinking back to the festival made his veins pop. "I shouldn't have done that. Even if you don't feel guilty about… God, anything you do… I crossed a line."

Airu laughed in response, only upsetting him further. Part of him hoped maybe she'd back off after he more or less assaulted her. Yes, this was a terrible thought. No, it wasn't the reason he did it. The truth was far worse.

"Lines are for losers." She swayed closer. "And we aren't losers. We're two superior people who enjoy each other's company."

"I don't enjoy your company!" His raised voice made her recoil. As he forced it down, his hands shook. "I don't want to be anywhere around you!"

Airu exaggerated a pout. "Really? Your lips say otherwise."

The shaking grew. Ewan forced his eyes off her. "You don't have any idea. Just… don't take that to mean I like you."

"You don't do that if you don't have any feelings for me. Spit it out."

He thought about trying to escape. Getting around her and reaching the door wouldn't be difficult. But he'd never be rid of her. Airu would keep hounding him, her relentless need to ruin his psyche continuing until he caved. Answering her wasn't going to make it stop, but at least the torment would be different.

His nerves still unsettled, he looked down into her eyes and confessed: "I detest you."

Airu's eyes widened and her smile fell, but that was as far as she'd be rattled. In fact, her lips curled back up with a vengeance as she giggled. She covered her mouth and looked down but couldn't contain a giddy excitement.

"That's…" Her tongue popped out through her teeth. "That's delightful!"

"How?!" In a reflexive, involuntary motion, his hands clutched the sides of her shoulders. Mere contact stirred something within him. Either it was the urge to strangle her or to pull her in close. He didn't know and he didn't want to. "It's horrible!"

Her hands brushed his extended arms. "Hate's a feeling too. It's all the same. In the end, cute, wonderful Ewan is still obsessed with adorable little Airu."

As he seethed, he only clutched her tighter. She drew closer. "And I know why too… getting all hot over someone you hate? That's pretty twisted."

He gulped. She didn't have to remind him. She _really_ didn't have to remind him. His hastened breathing couldn't summon a phony denial.

"There's a dark side of you, isn't there? Something you don't want getting out." Airu wrapped her arms around his neck. "Show me."

"That's a-" It was all air. He misplaced his voice. With her body pressed against his, he somehow salvaged enough to say, "That's a bad idea." He knew what he was capable of. An entire far off Digital World knew what he was capable of. Avoiding Airu wasn't about his own peace of mind. It was about preserving _hers_.

She only shook her head. "Bad ideas are my favorite."

"Airu-" Before he could think of something to say, her mouth was on his, sharp and poisonous, leaving him helpless to control whatever either of them did next.

Pulling back only an inch, she whispered, "Do your worst."

Before she could take another breath, he had her pinned to the floor.

* * *

Sora Takenouchi stared over her prize: an empty kitchen in the same broken castle she'd been in the last two months. Winning the draw made this her new domain, exiling Ewan back to a cozier place with more of her friends than his. She fought back against that fate for idealogical reasons. This was about proving her move was about more than following a boy, thriving in a new land with the capability to act for herself. Demanding to stay, and even breaking up with Takuya, all supported her case. But what was she getting in return?

Performing the job itself wasn't a problem. She had the know-how and drive to keep everyone fed. Ewan's system was easy enough to understand, so she didn't bother reorganizing anything. Sora could hit the ground running without a single cheat day. She tied on her apron, rolled up her sleeves, and announced, "What do you think? How about we grill steaks for everyone?"

Nobody answered. No one was in the room. She looked around and frowned. She even wanted this, asking Biyomon for some time alone to get familiar with the space and generate some ideas without interruption. Without her, the tiny echo of her own voice annoyed her.

"No," she told herself. "I don't need B all the time." Sora convinced herself this was about kitchen logistics, that relying on Biyomon to get food out every day was a dangerous habit. If she couldn't do it alone, she was tackling too much.

She attacked dinner with plenty of gusto, finding the perfect recipe for a nice rub, gathering everything together, and whipping it up in no time. A bin carried all the potatoes she would need for a side, already peeled thanks to contributions from a surplus of bored hunters. Within an hour, meat was seasoned, potatoes were mashed, and a vegetable medley was ready for the skillet.

With a satisfied smile on her face and an even more satisfying smell in the air, Sora said, "See, I can handle this."

Again, nobody was in the room. Even if there was, she had nothing to prove. Nobody doubted her. That's why they wanted to her to do this at the other castle. Her impending success proved nothing.

Realizing that, she slowed down. Not to the detriment of the service, but enough to let her brain wander again. What happened after dinner? What was she doing? Who was she doing it with?

Before moving to Isthmian she never had to worry about it: she knew everyone and they were all starved for activity. Half the time she had been too social during the day and needed some alone time with a book or a nice bath. Now that her closest work relationship was Ryouma, that was never a problem. And without Takuya anchoring her nightlife, even the parts they didn't spend alone, she was left with few options. She couldn't say she didn't have friends around, but Izzy's idea of fun differed wildly from hers and the more she distanced herself from Matt, the more comfortable they both were.

Between the simmering steak drawing her into a trance and her mind drifting into depressing territory, the door swinging open came as a welcome distraction, even if it was only Ryouma. "Oh! You started already."

Sora checked the clock: she had another hour before dinner service began. Even going at it alone with a relatively cumbersome dish, she would still be ready on time.

"I found some steak we needed to use or freeze. I needed a head start."

"So I suppose I can send in the help now?"

She turned to him, an eyebrow raised. "The help?"

"Ewan suggested having more support in his exit interview with Matt. Hand-picked a couple hunters he thought could be trained to assist. Matt didn't mention that to you?"

"Matt hasn't said anything to me." She withheld the part about preferring it that way.

"That would explain why you're grilling those steaks now instead of the end of the month for the birthday celebration."

Sora's eyes widened in panic. "Birthday? Whose birthday?"

"Everyone's." Ryouma smirked. "Easier to keep track of."

She huffed. "Maybe Matt and I could communicate a little more…"

"Not to worry! I'm sure we can adjust the schedule. I'll even find the help for you. I bet they can boil water and everything."

"Yeah… um, sure." Messing up on the steaks was frustrating, but she could overlook that. With Matt in charge and Ryouma under him, it would probably be a regular occurrence. But she didn't know how to feel about assistance. The hunters as a whole were an odd crew, territorial and opportunistic. In a cooking competition, she reasoned plenty could whip up something miles better than she could. Working together to feed a castle? Then they were harder to trust.

But it was a start. Maybe they'd turn out to be decent kids. Maybe she'd even want to become friends with them. At the very least, maybe they'd drain her social battery enough to be content continuing to spend her nights in solitude. "Yeah, bring them in," she answered with more confidence.

"Of course." Ryouma bowed. "Oh, and happy birthday."

* * *

TK Takaishi wanted to pretend the command room wasn't engulfed in turmoil. That was getting harder and harder. Thanks to the fallout from the Yaddith attack, everyone upstairs had some sort of personal crisis to manage. The settlement denied outside leadership from both the team leaders and the five officers. That didn't change how anything functioned, not yet at least, but it was a harsh rebuke Tai couldn't help but take personally. Since TK's girlfriend was one of the dissidents, that threw him into the mire.

Then there was Thomas, supervising the investigation into how Yaddith emerged in the world. Even if Izzy did the bulk of the research, Thomas still carried the weight of organizing the information and delivering any findings, including anything damning Henry or the other tamers. The tamers were everywhere, the first allies to arrive in the Digital World after the digidestined. Their involvement with Yaddith shook everyone.

Henry wasn't in the room, preferring a more direct involvement with his Operations duties, no matter how mundane. For someone with the programming expertise to create a monstrosity like Yaddith, his sudden interest in auditing routine maintenance procedures to resolve inefficiencies was just sort of sad. Davis was out with the response team, no doubt hoping to help sort out the row between Ken and Rika. This time his pleas for forgiveness and acceptance weren't as impassioned as when Ken himself was on trial.

There was only one bright spot in the room, and it bewildered TK to no end: he'd never seen Kari happier.

Her infectious chuckle broke out even in response team communications. "Don't celebrate just yet, Tora. There's three more heading your way from the south." These were enemy positions she relayed. And to Astra no less, who had kept his distance from her since the festival. TK wouldn't usually question Kari having a bright attitude. But the timing was peculiar.

"Hey TK." Before he could listen in and gather hints, Tai called him over. "Hey, uh… you and Catherine are kind of a thing, right?"

TK expected this conversation. Not that anticipating it made it any more comfortable. He threw on a smirk and replied, "Hey, you're with Meiko now, you're not allowed to be jealous."

Tai narrowed his eyes. "Has she, uh… said anything?"

Despite the urge to stall further, TK skipped asking for clarification. He knew what Tai meant. "Yeah. She was really nervous the whole time, but everyone there was kind of on the same page. She's a little scared, but also really excited about the whole thing."

"Did she say what they were planning?"

"Tai, do you really think we spend all night talking shop?" TK raised his eyebrows and grinned. "We're way more fun that that."

"Do you…" Tai's eyes wandered. He settled on a half-smile. "Do you think you could ask?"

"Nope! I'm not playing mole." TK kept it cheerful. "At least not for you."

Tai raised an eyebrow. "Wait, are you playing mole for her?"

With a bright smile, TK answered, "She's a lot cuter than you are!"

Before he made it back to his seat, Kari pulled off her headphones, stood, and faced both TK and Tai. "Tai? TK? I have an announcement to make."

"Please don't quit like Mimi did," said Tai. "I don't think I could handle TK running Communications."

TK smiled back. "Love you too, big brother."

Kari took a deep breath and unleashed: "Davis and I are now seeing each other."

Tai and TK both cocked their heads. Neither could come up with a sufficient response. TK couldn't decide whether the news itself or the method of announcement was more shocking.

Finally, Tai said, "Come on TK, where's all that sarcasm now?"

He couldn't summon it. His instinctual response was of concern. Now he was stuck figuring out why, and whether it was warranted.

"Tai, I'm only saying this because I don't want to keep it a secret from you," said Kari. "Is that all right?"

Tai shook his head, still bewildered. "I guess I'm just confused, that's all."

"Why? Is Davis really that bad?"

"No no… I'm confused he didn't announce it first." He shrugged. "If we're being honest I kinda thought this might happen. Don't do anything stupid, I guess."

"That's a high bar around Davis," muttered Thomas.

Still, with Tai's half-blessing, Kari smiled in triumph and returned to her chair. So did TK, though he was reluctant to say anything. He just watched as she resumed her duties… and whatever side conversation she had going with Astra.

"Okay, I did it. You were right, it feels good." TK forgot to put his own headphones on and missed Astra's response. By the time he donned them, she replied, "It so is! I'll let you guys finish up, okay?"

TK kept staring. Bad enough that he had all sorts of questions about how Kari could suddenly take a romantic interest in Davis. Now he wondered how Astra—who had gone out with _both_ of them—had some sort of role in it all. There were too many variables to process, so he just sat there in bewilderment.

"You know you can ask about it, right?" she said. He wasn't sure if she was talking to him until she peeked over her shoulder.

"Can I?" He raised his eyebrows. "It's kinda weird to talk about."

"It's kind of weird to think about." She chuckled, facing forward again, a little smile still on her face. "But I kept Izzy a secret and that turned into a disaster. Maybe if we would have been more open we could have stopped it in time. So… unless you aren't comfortable."

"I don't know. You and Astra didn't bother me. Just meant you had weird taste." Her head bent down as her smile grew. "But Davis? I just… figured you both realized being friends was the right way to go. Like it was with us."

"I… thought so too." The smile fell. Her monitor turned dark as a page refreshed; her reflection revealed a blank stare. "But one night something just… clicked. And I knew what I wanted."

TK couldn't help but count the number of things wrong with that statement. He started with the first one: "One night?"

"Um… yeah. Every so often we'd get together to…" The eyes in the monitor looked straight back at him before diving back down. "…talk. You know… just about stuff."

He knew she wasn't giving him the full story. Deeply troubling as it was, he knew probing would only reveal worse. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

Before he could decide whether to ask, she turned around to say, "You know what's weirdest about all this? I'm really glad this happened and being with Davis really is great and all… but do you know what makes me the happiest?"

TK leaned back, bracing himself for an answer that would disgust him. "What?"

Her head shook as she answered. "The best part… is just knowing this was the right thing. The first time I…" She paused, demurring for a moment before carrying on. "…kissed him… I was sure. You know I don't always feel that way. But I had this moment of, like, clarity… and I knew."

He smiled and nodded. "Well… congrats to you two I guess." She smiled back and turned back around, the monitor displaying a tracking log over her face. TK let his fake smile fall, glancing back at Tai, too busy staring out the window to read properly. It wasn't in the way he expected, but he was right: her answer disgusted him.

* * *

Izzy Izumi threw himself into this research project with more intensity and devotion than his usual work. He wanted to say it was due to the dire nature of the danger Yaddith posed. Anything coming that close to toppling a settlement needed to be understood and dealt with. But serious threats weren't uncommon in the Digital World. Every year or so something came along with the force capable of squashing them all. This one was special in its own way: it was the first assignment Command had given him since resigning as an officer.

That shouldn't have mattered. It wasn't his first crucial work since jumping ship. And he'd taken on a hundred others based on discoveries from his investigation team. Yet this time he had more pressure to find an answer. The fingertips on his keyboard carried more sweat and every false lead was a blow to his confidence.

It wasn't like he hadn't learned anything. He found Yaddith's code cached in Henry's computer, but it wasn't executed from there. The server hosting the file was buried under a wobbly tower fifteen miles west of the settlement. Nobody occupied it, but the patrol team made it a regular stop to make sure no unsavory characters tried to utilize it. They had last checked it only a month ago, with no irregularities reported. Izzy asked Thomas to have them check again.

He did at least confirm the reason for the Appmon vulnerability. Henry designed it to withstand Digimon, using a code to diminish the effects of any attacks. Since Appmon carried a different coding, Yaddith's code failed to recognize and stop them. This was the only valuable thing Izzy had discovered in his hours of hunting.

The door opened, which wasn't unusual nor worth his attention. The library had visitors off and on, but few stuck around and nobody bothered him. Nobody, that is, except Zoe.

"Ooh, what are you working on today?" Normally he welcomed her intrusion. She didn't always understand his work, but she never failed to be curious. He had a duty to feed it.

"I need to figure out how the program that attacked the settlement launched and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, thank goodness." She carried a chair next to him. "That's important. And time-consuming."

"Tired of socializing, I reason?"

"Sometimes you just don't want to people."

Izzy nodded. He certainly didn't want to people with all this on his shoulders, hesitantly making Zoe an exception.

It wasn't so bad at first. She stayed silent as he continued his work, examining Yaddith's code to find anything that could trigger it to life without human intervention. The process was tedious. Izzy found it soothing.

Zoe, though, wasn't as entranced. "You know…" she paused to see make sure he acknowledged her. A slight nod was all she got. That only came after years of conditioning himself to note when someone spoke to him, no matter how much more interesting his screen was. "You still never explained Matt and Nene to me."

His reply was automatic and flat: "I told you, it was only a suggestion and I'm not keen to look into it."

"That's… fine," she said, discouraged. "I just want to know why you thought that."

With an annoyed huff, he answered, "I'd rather not speculate. Matt is a friend. I don't want to pry."

Smirking, she said, "Well I do. I mean they still have their band and stuff. Nothing's changed. Isn't that weird?"

"It is possible to remain friends." Izzy raised his eyebrows. "Just because your relationships always end with an explosion doesn't mean all of them do."

She chuckled back. "Look who's talking."

He didn't laugh back. Maybe he invited her response but he wasn't ready for the reminder. His foolishness hadn't just cost him Kari. He gave up everything. Izzy turned back to the monitor. Instead of something productive, he wondered if Yaddith still could have launched if he had still been in Command instead of Henry.

"Too far?" He could sense the cringing in her voice. Still, he didn't answer.

Izzy almost had her presence tuned out when her hand on his wrist startled him. The tiny sensation flushed through him. He hated the feeling.

"Have you ever talked about it?" Zoe asked. He shuddered. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about it. He couldn't even explain it to Tentomon.

Looking down at his keyboard, and at the gentle, sympathetic hand on his arm, he replied, "Why are you so obsessed with other people's relationships?" The hand slid away.

"I mean…" After a few false starts, she forced out a chuckle. "What else is there to do around here?"

Maybe it was the thoughts of his mistakes still lingering in his head. Or her sudden interest in getting him to open up to her. But when Izzy looked at her, drawing his eyes to her face, so full of perk and light despite her soul worn down so often by reality, he finally realized the danger.

A shout came from outside: "Are you still in there?" Jeremy did nothing to mask his impatience.

Zoe frowned, calling back, "Be out in a second! Not finding anything!" She turned back to Izzy to explain, "Watching his kendo practice. It's… pretty boring."

She got halfway out before she stopped and thought out loud, "Hey, maybe Jeremy can get it out of Nene."

Izzy shook his head and tried to return to his work. After all that, all he could think of was how badly he needed to deliver Tai some answers, yet he couldn't get himself to move the fingers across the keyboard.

* * *

Ryo Akiyama smelled danger just in the fact that they asked for help in the first place. Legend had it seeing one Youkomon could leave one mesmerized and haunted for years. He tried not to be too awed to be in a den with not one, but three of them.

Most of the other patrol team members kept their composure, despite entering a tiny burrow and finding themselves in a dark, wall-less void lit by floating blue flames.

Marcus may not have even noticed. "Okay, you track us down, you ask for help, you lead us in here. You gonna explain what's going on?"

"We were hunting when it happened." The voice came without any of their lips moving. Nobody was sure which one was talking.

"Hunting?" asked Kazu. "Hunting what?"

"The prey doesn't matter. Only the act. We don't seek to kill." This voice was the same as the first. Ryo hoped it was the same Youkomon. " _It_ … on the other hand…"

Cody kept a straight face at one Youkomon. "It? A Digimon?"

"It looked like a Digimon. It didn't feel like one. Our pack-mate aborted her hunt. Called for help. Tried to flee. When I arrived, I saw the beam. It…"

"Okay, okay…" Marcus nodded repeatedly. "Digimon going around killing stuff. I'm liking this so far."

"Marcus," Yoshi scolded. With a far more sympathetic voice, she asked, "So… your friend didn't make it, I assume?"

The three lowered their heads. After a respectful pause, Yoshi continued, "Did you get the digi-egg or did it float away?"

"The egg floated…" Youkomon's voice seemed more distant, more of an echo. "…then it shattered."

Everyone perked their heads up at once.

That detail was the only one on anyone's mind, enough to ignore the pocket dimension they walked out of.

"No digi-egg, huh…" muttered Marcus. "Well that makes things more interesting."

"If by interesting you mean terrifying," said Lalamon.

Ryo shook his head, dismissing the quiet panic in everyone's voice. "Hey, don't freak out. That's normal for my world."

"But not here," Cody said. "We don't want a repeat of what happened to Lopmon."

Yoshi stopped and folded her arms. "But what happened with Lopmon was a worldwide crisis. You'd think we'd have heard about it by now if it was happening again."

"But there's no Digimon that can stop you from being reborn when they kill you." Kazu looked around, expecting a round of head shakes. Nobody turned. They just kept walking. "Are there?"

Marcus and Yoshi eyed each other nervously. "Uh… yes and no," she said.

The woods the Youkomon directed them to had neither life nor color. The trees were black and leafless, the ground littered with dead branches. The Youkomon hadn't said anything about damage to the forest. Ryo had to assume such a dreary atmosphere suited them.

One glowing blue ball hovered over the air, a marker to the spot their companion fell.

"Guess this is where we split up and track this guy down," Marcus suggested.

"Not too far apart," said Cody. "Something feels really wrong here. We don't want to be caught off guard."

The ensuing discussion led to Marcus heading straight north, Yoshi and Kazu going northeast, and Ryo and Cody going northwest. On one hand, tracking down something with no physical description seemed impossible. But the forest was so silent and so devoid of life that a trace of anything was suspicious.

"Maybe we should make more noise and draw it out," Armadillomon said.

Ryo peered down an endless line of trees. "Maybe. If it's not scared of Youkomon it won't be scared of us."

With a sudden jolt, Cyberdramon picked his head up, nose in the air. "This way," he snarled.

"You smell a Digimon?"

"I smell… something. It's wrong."

Cyberdramon ran towards the scent, Ryo sprinting after him to keep up. Cody didn't bother trying, instead updating the other squads. In a small clearing of stumps and felled trees, they saw what appeared to be a Digimon, bipedal with a body comprising blue and white spheres connected by flat cables. It stared straight back at Cyberdramon, processed for a moment, then marched towards him.

"I guess this is what we're here for," said Ryo. "Take it down. Go in from the side."

His partner obeyed, charging in from an angle. "Desolation Claw!"

It was a direct hit, several of them in fact, as the energy bursts from his claws struck every part of its torso. Cyberdramon slashed it in the head one more time anyway, bending it backwards. Ryo didn't take his eyes off it, refusing to assume victory until he saw it.

Neither got a chance to react before it wrapped its arms around Cyberdramon and hurled him away. He collided with the one standing tree in the clearing, snapping it into kindling.

Ryo ran to his partner, knees sliding across the dry grass. Cyberdramon was groggy from the collision but conscious. He propped up his shoulders, trying to get him to his feet, pretending that if he could just do that they'd figure out the rest. They managed to get upright, only to find the strange Digimon approaching them.

Its laser turret glowed a powerful white. Ryo froze. He didn't know what he was dealing with or what condition Cyberdramon was in. He was out of moves. Cyberdramon reacted first, his massive arm forcing Ryo behind. "No!" Ryo shouted, bracing himself for one of the two to die, not sure which he'd prefer.

He heard the laser fire, but didn't see or feel it. Instead, he felt something ram into him, then the hard ground slamming his other side. When he opened his eyes, Cyberdramon was on the ground too, underneath Digmon.

Ryo found his own savior on top of him. "You realize how stupid that was, right?" he spat.

Through panting breaths, Cody answered, "The way Ken tells it? Yes."

The Digimon still bore down on them. "Okay, now who wants to save us?" Digmon asked.

Marcus's scream answered the question. He charged in from the side and landed a punch straight on the apparatus above its head. That got its attention. Marcus grinned and held his charged fist out. "DNA Charge! Over-"

"Forbidden Temptation!" From the other side, Rosemon overwhelmed its back with rose petals.

"Heh heh. Psyche," snickered Marcus.

The Digimon didn't succumb to the ambush. It turned around and rushed a beam at Rosemon. She dodged, but Yoshi backed away. "That didn't do it? That always worked before."

"He didn't even react to it!"

"Didn't react to us either," Ryo spat as he and Cody helped Cyberdramon stagger away.

The Digimon ignored Rosemon and Marcus and turned its attention back to the injured Digimon. "Rude…" Yoshi muttered. She ordered Rosemon to cover their retreat. "Marcus, if we can't hit it, we should fall back!"

After another attack from Rosemon failed to get its attention, Agumon nodded. "Yeah, this ain't right. Let's get out of here, boss!"

Marcus stared at his fist, looked up at the monster, then shouted, "All right, all right, let's regroup."

Once they got Cyberdramon far enough away, the escape was easy enough. The team re-assembled outside the woods. As Cody reported the situation and Ryo checked on his partner, Marcus and Yoshi stared back in.

"Man, that must have spooked you good to get you to run," joked Kazu. Marcus didn't respond.

"We hit that thing three times over," said Ryo. "It didn't care."

"It should have cared," Marcus huffed. "It should be dead meat. Something weird's going on."

"What was your first clue?" Yoshi shook her head in dismay. "What the hell is a Gizumon doing here?"

* * *

Airu Suzaki staggered to the river, her legs giving out and slipping on the dewy grass. She crawled the rest of the way, barely able to see in the moonlight, mud soaking into her hands, knees, and bare feet, splashing onto her skirt and camisole. Most days she would pitched a fit over this. Instead she focused on reaching the water. She bent down and drank straight from it, lapping it up like a dog, her hands too dirty to trust.

Her hair, clothes, and skin were filthy, even before she dragged herself through the mud. The compulsion came to fall into the water, but her aching body and exhausted mind made her more likely to drown than get anywhere near a state of clean. She reached a compromise with herself and dunked her head in. It didn't help, but it felt liberating. When this was all over, she promised herself an entire day in the bath. It was the least she needed after a disorienting, debilitating, degrading date with Ewan Amano.

It had been the best night of her life.

Like any girl with her kind of unique lifestyle, Airu had groomed her powers of flirtation and seduction. If she couldn't get the boys to do what she wanted, she wouldn't have had any fun. But she was smart and crafty enough never to let it get too far. Nor was she capable of taking an interest in anybody for sincere reasons. After experiencing the perfection of Ewan Amano when she was young, everyone else paled in comparison. The only boy who ever kissed her on the lips did so against her will. She arranged for him to have a rather karmic accident with a vice grip.

The way she would no doubt describe it in the future, her night with Ewan was a culmination of waiting for the right person and the right moment. They were destined to happen. She had known it six years ago, from their fated first encounter when he stopped her from hunting Cutemon. Theirs was a love transcending time and dimension, finally realized in a night of blissful glory.

In truth, her inexperience meant she had no idea what she was in store for. She knew she wanted him. She knew she wanted his hidden darkness. She hunted it and claimed it. Airu didn't know what any of that entailed, but that was the _fun_ of it. To find out what he was capable of doing with a willing plaything. It didn't matter that she wasn't familiar with the normal mechanics. To her, normality was dirtier than anything they'd get up to.

Airu got everything she asked for. The darkness was real: once she removed his leash, the polite puppy became an angry wolf. All of Ewan's collective anger and lust for her poured out at once, throwing and bending her around like she was weightless. Hands and tongue and teeth covered every part of her. She was fairly certain sex happened at some point, but she couldn't have pinpointed exactly when. Ewan clearly wasn't confident about the mechanics either.

Somewhere in the middle of several collisions with the wall, the collapsed shelf, the busted bag of flour, and several screams Airu was not proud of, Ewan decided they were making too much noise and dragged her into the woods. To be precise, they walked to the front gate separately and inconspicuously before any literal dragging happened. The soft dirt gave him even more freedom to toss her around. Which he did, repeatedly, creatively, and all with the expression and demeanor of a man possessed.

Naturally, there were plenty of painful collisions and contortions. He gave her no time to catch her breath and asking if she was comfortable defeated the purpose. Ewan was too far gone for that and Airu was too intent on probing the depths of his depravity. Her prize was his lips on hers, his arms around her, and his soul in her hand. Nobody could have experienced this side of him before. The one that only came out when the lights were out and the trappings of human decency fell. Someone as good and honest as Ewan must have waited a long time for someone to give him permission to be a demon. She was happy to oblige, no matter the risks.

At some point it turned dark, but it didn't matter. She didn't know how long it continued before he ran out of gas, but she was limp and exhausted long before that. They passed out at the same time, collapsing next to each other, their feet entangled.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, she was proud of herself for making it to the river in such a state. It didn't help the hike back up. She slipped on the grass and sensed the jabs underneath every time she stepped on a stick or tree branch. With the euphoria of being with Ewan gone, the soreness was her only souvenir. This wasn't her idea of pleasure at all. Her place was in the sun, looking impeccable, making the boys swoon, and inflicting the pain rather than receiving it. What sort of power did he have over her?

Her knees gave out the moment she made it back to him. For the first time all night, she was as overwhelmed and miserable as she probably should have been the whole time. The pain was harder to bear, enough to urge her to cry. Airu never cried. That alone should have been enough to make her run.

Ewan was awake, leaning against a tree, gasping with panic-stricken eyes cast to the ground. His entire body trembled. His voice, weak and fragile, squeaked, "Are… are you okay?"

At once, her pain vanished. The tears never came. The girl who insisted on getting her way smirked at the boy who cared too much. She scoffed back. "You think something like that's going to faze me? You're too precious."

He lifted his head and stared at her. His eyes calmed, but his face still carried that haunted look. From his knees, he stumbled to her and jerked her forward for a kiss. The cycle began again. Two kids playing with knives, and she couldn't have dreamed of anything better.

* * *

Rei Katsura had plenty of space for his thoughts, even in a busy cafeteria. He ate in silence with Hackmon, not needing to tell him what was on his mind. The mission to revive Yuujin that occupied them for months was over. Haru was free to run around and play with his reclaimed friend. But where did that leave Rei?

The usual twinge of jealousy struck him, of course, but he did his best to dismiss it. Haru deserved to enjoy his prize. After rescuing Hajime, Rei knew the feeling. No matter how urgent the situation had remained around them, succeeding at bringing a loved one back carried an unshakable solace. The more time allowed to relish in it, the better. Besides, Rei enjoyed solitude.

It didn't last. With no warning, a tray dropped next to them. Maki sat down on the other side of Hackmon.

"Where's Daigo?" Rei asked, as gentle a suggestion that he didn't need company as he could muster.

"He's playing basketball with Tagiru." She took a bite of rice. "At least he's pretending to."

They ate most of their lunch in silence. Their shared disdain for idle chatter made her easy to tolerate.

"So where are Haru and Yuujin?" she asked.

"Tactical mission. Yuujin was happy to help."

Maki nodded. "That sounds consistent with his programming." Rei flinched, unable to decide if her remark was funny or callous. His eyes cheated in her direction; she waited for them to arrive before laughing.

Despite himself, a smile formed. "I guess going from Yuujin the concept to Yuujin the person isn't easy." He was guilty of that too, and he even knew the original Yuujin.

As her laughter subsided, Maki dried a tear. "I'm happy for Haru and Offmon but I have to admit I prefer Yuujin the concept."

Looking around, confirming that no one was listening and he could spare some brutal honesty, he said, "He's too nice. And too willing to sacrifice himself."

"He reminds me of Daigo."

"Which part?"

"The sacrifice part. Ask him about MetalPhantomon." Maki paused, pondered, then added, "Then ask me what really happened." They shared mean smirks.

"We love our idiot teammates," said Hackmon. Maki raised her glass.

"Unfortunately, that does mean the high of our success is already wearing off."

Rei sighed. He wasn't surprised. He couldn't admonish her despite what the "success" entailed. He wasn't going to say anything.

"At what point do we talk about what comes next?" she asked, causing a shudder. "I heard something about your brother." Both dipped their eyes toward Hackmon, leaning even more into his lunch tray, dismissing all interruptions.

"There is no next," he said, before he could let the temptation to deny it take hold. He should have said more. He couldn't. Not to her. Not to himself.

Whatever trace of joy she had vanished. "There's no next?"

"Saving Yuujin was a stroke of luck." He shook his head. "I can't wait for another idiot to turn up braindead."

"Not even for your brother?" Maki carried bite now. He winced at the words.

"You don't know how far I've gone for Hajime."

"I saw how far you went for Yuujin, and you don't care about him."

"I'm not doing it again." He shook his head. "That's all I thought about when Biomon was rearranging the body. I already went through hell twice. I'm done."

Maki pounded her arm on the table, leaning on it towards him. "But if you went through hell for him, how can you give up?"

Rei seethed. Did she think he came to this decision lightly? He had every intention of starting on Hajime the moment Yuujin was back. Hell, he already scoured the net for his DNA profile and even wondered if Bootmon was possible. It still came back to needing a human body. The fantasies that carried him ended up flying away. He knew he had to let them go, but only in the most bitter sense. Admitting, out loud, that he'd never see Hajime again destroyed him.

"Because it's not for Hajime." Hackmon, trusted Appmon buddy, came through with the answer. "Is it, Rei?"

With some reluctance, Rei repeated the same argument he forced himself to swallow multiple times: "We're alternate versions of ourselves here. Back home, Hajime is fine. We're together. We're happy." He stared across the cafeteria at all the assorted groups having pleasant conversations, each one their own solace against the conditions and constraints of the Digital World. "Bringing him here would be just for me. Yuujin deserved another chance. We gave it to him. Hajime doesn't need it."

"But…" Maki stuttered, fumbling for the words, for the kind of poised expression needed for what was still a discrete topic. The flashes in her eyes suggested it was difficult. "Don't you need it?"

Rei picked up his tray and stood up. What he didn't need was someone trying to convince him otherwise. He just might have been swayed by it. "I shouldn't," he muttered as he walked away.

* * *

Yuujin Oozora refused to let on how scared he was. The world still felt like a dream. He still expected that any moment he would wake up and be fourteen again, back in Fujimizaka fighting Leviathan. Now he was twenty and stuck in a whole new life. One that involved venturing alone into the wilderness with Offmon in search of a dangerous enemy.

In one sense he was grateful to be somewhere unrecognizable. It was the only reason he could imagine being comfortable with a body that aged without him. Back home he would have noticed seeing everything from a few inches higher or walking a familiar path in fewer strides. Yuujin didn't have those comparisons here. The castle, and the world around him, were as foreign as his body. He acclimated to both at the same time.

Offmon's worried moan kept his thoughts centered: "Why do we have to do this alone?"

Yuujin rubbed his head. "They're worried the bad guys can detect all of the others. But they don't know about us." Calming Offmon gave him the chance to calm himself. Isolating one of the top generals in Marsmon's army alone daunted him. He wondered if Koji was skeptical of his sudden arrival or Takuya wanted to see what he was capable of. Yuujin refused to let them down.

No matter his fear, he fell back to the one command grounding him: have faith in Haru.

He found her hovering over a frozen pond, pretending to ice skate with moon-shaped boots. Dianamon's dazzling movements, even if not genuine, entranced him for a moment. Somehow he reminded himself this was an enemy and whispered into his seven-code band, "Haru? She's here. Beginning operation."

"Okay. We're on our way," Haru replied.

Yuujin nodded to Offmon, who raised his arms. "Link Severance!"

If Dianamon noticed the black dome surrounding her, she didn't care, dismissing it as the next phase of the moon. It vanished just as quickly as the connections within in stopped working. All Yuujin had to do now was conceal himself until the backup arrived.

That wasn't as easy as it sounded. He was at the bottom of a mountain slope, behind a thin tree. When he climbed down, he could watch her movements and scramble between rocks when her back was turned. He couldn't do that going back up. Nothing bigger than his tree was in sight. He sat on the snow-dusted ground, leaning against his narrow cover, clutching Offmon.

The cold and the silence became unbearable. Offmon wrapped up tighter in his jacket while Yuujin wished he had one of his own. His hands shivered. The cold had never bothered him this way before. He had gone ice skating and skiing before, never noticing the weather. Now he knew how Haru felt retreating indoors after only fifteen minutes of sledding. At the time, Yuujin thought such frailty was cute. He never appreciated hot fires and cocoa.

"Arrow of Artemis!" Out of nowhere, Dianamon attacked. He couldn't risk turning around, but the call came from the middle of the lake. He would have heard something when the reinforcements arrived. The arrow landed high on the cliff in front of him, penetrating the rock surface. The rumble that followed made him realize what was going on. The massive sheet of snow slid down the cliff, inundating him and everything around him.

The avalanche pinned Yuujin against the tree and buried him up to his shoulders, his arms trapped. If the cold upset him before, now it was painful. Groaning, he looked around for Offmon, but he was fully under. Yuujin tried to have faith, reminding himself Haru and friends were on their way. Not in this cold. Not with his hands already turning numb. Hopelessness came too easy.

Before he could decide whether he needed to control his heavy breathing, increase it, or let himself drift away, Dianamon had her blade pointed at his neck from yards away. Drifting away felt like the best option…

The first strike from the cavalry came without warning, slashing Dianamon's back as it flew past. RaptorSparrowmon slowed, stopped, and turned around over the lake, waiting for Dianamon to fight back.

The enemy didn't get the chance. "Magna Rockets!" Yuujin perked his head up when MagnaGarurumon's arsenal struck her back, cornering her on two sides. Dianamon retreated to the lake, but the squeeze was on. RaptorSparrowmon disrupted both her major attacks and plans to escape.

When Yuujin saw Globemon flying down the hill, he knew everything would be fine. Haru jumped off and rushed up his friend, digging through the snow with his bare hands. "Yuujin! What happened?!"

"G-got a bit stuck," he said, trying to put on a chuckle but wincing.

"We'll get you out of here!"

Behind them, MailBirdramon dropped off Christopher. "Or we could do it the easy way. Stand back."

Globemon pulled Haru away as Christopher reloaded Greymon. "Mega Flame!" The fireball landed in front of Yuujin, melting away most of the snow encasing him in an instant. Yuujin fell over, but Haru caught him in time. Gatchmon checked on Offmon, disoriented and still with a column of snow on his head.

Haru touched Yuujin's cheek, then shouted back to Christopher. "He needs first aid! Get Nene!"

Christopher waited a second, eying the battle behind them. "Nene's doing what we came here for." He unzipped his coat and handed it to Haru to drape over Yuujin. "He'll survive."

"Yeah… I've been through worse," added Yuujin, still shivering.

Behind them, the newly fused MetalGreymon added more power to an already lopsided fight. "Giga Destroyer!" His lasers shot down any window for Dianamon to escape.

"Starburst Hunter!" MagnaGarurumon's light force crashed through her. By the time it subsided, only her digi-egg remained.

Yuujin smiled. "We did it?"

Haru still cradled him. "Don't worry about that. I just want you to be safe."

"And I want to help. I don't mind getting buried in snow if we won."

A couple tears trickled out of Haru's eyes. "Yuujin, you never change."

"Maybe I have." Another shiver came over him. "This weather didn't used to get to me like this before."

He was trying to keep it casual, but Haru's eyes snapped open and his face turned pale. With an uneasy smile, Yuujin backpedaled. "It's a joke. Avalanche… snow… of course it got me."

"R… right…" Haru backed away as Nene rushed in. Yuujin didn't register her taking his temperature and checking his limbs. He couldn't help but wonder about Haru's reaction. Was there really something to such a small change? For all the questions he could have been asking about his waking up in this world, he tried not to. Stuff like this made that harder.

"How is he?" asked Koji. Even the specter of hypothermia couldn't keep his grin off.

"Temperature's low, but he'll be all right," answered Nene. "This barely counts as dramatic."

"Well good." Koji nodded, turning to the pond. "That was a top target. You really helped us out today." Back to Yuujin, his grin broadened. "Not bad, new guy."

Yuujin's smile was genuine now. His urge to ask questions faded with the faintest of praise. He contributed to the effort. He was part of the team. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Eri Karan smelled trouble. The representatives running the settlement had declared independence, splitting themselves off from Tai and the officers to make their own decisions. The necessary actions to move forward and established their footprint in the world were underway. Then this happened. The timing was suspicious.

She couldn't do anything about it, other than stare at the closed meeting room door and hope the reps had similar reservations. If anything could undermine their work, it was a new transfer straight from Tai's team.

Meiko joined her outside the room. "Are they still meeting?" Eri nodded. She didn't worry about Meiko. Her loyalty to Tai was unquestionable, but she wasn't an influencer. She couldn't convince anyone to change course, forgive the officers, and accept their rule.

"They've been in there a while," said Dokamon.

Eri caught Meiko staring at her. "You look worried."

She didn't bother denying it. "The reps are doing something really brave. I don't want them to back down."

Meiko held her stare for a moment, then snickered. Fist clenched and face flushed, Eri said, "What? Am I freaking out over nothing?"

"Well… I don't think this whole separation thing is as big a deal as everyone makes it out to be."

"Have you said that to Tai?"

"Sure have!" Meiko looked down. "Still, I guess if you're worried about Mimi pushing everybody in a different direction… that's understandable."

"She's good at that?"

"Let's just say you're not the first girl to get me to dance for an audience."

Dokamon's eyed flashed wide. "Oh no!"

The door opened. Michael had an arm around Mimi's shoulder, both laughing with Betamon and Palmon behind them. "This will be fun! It's good to have you back!" Michael exclaimed.

"I know! And we've even got Meimei!" Mimi stopped and put her other arm around Meiko's shoulder. "How's Michael been treating you?"

Meiko smiled back. "Oh, everything's fine now."

"They're way past a couple angry forum posts!" added Betamon, drawing looks from everybody.

Michael waved him down. "Maybe we shouldn't bring all that up…"

"Eri, what are they talking about?" Dokamon asked.

"I have no idea…" she mumbled. The lack of context made her uncomfortable too.

Mimi's face remained bright as ever as she marched up to Eri. She leaned forward, hands on her hips. "So you're the famous Eri! That was a great show. Center of the universe, huh? Love the confidence!"

Caught off guard for only a second, Eri snapped on and began her dance: "That's right! And don't you forget or you'll be getting a Big Bang Punch!" She was disappointed the hallway didn't have furniture to stand on.

"Wow, Meiko was right, you are something!"

Palmon leaned in towards Dokamon. "She isn't going to actually punch her, is she?"

Dokamon smiled back. "No, Eri's the sweetest!"

"Oh… okay…" She didn't sound convinced.

Only when Mimi started walking did Meiko and Michael follow. Eri didn't catch on until they were a few steps down the hall. "So what are you going to be doing here?" asked Meiko.

Mimi linked her arm with Meiko's. "Well, first I'm going to help Michael and everyone figure out how to organize."

Eri rushed forward to catch up. "Why's that?"

"Mimi's been here since the beginning and knows more about why they set up their system of officers the way they did," Michael answered. "Understanding that helps us work out what we need to do differently."

"She's okay with us doing things differently?"

"Of course!" Mimi chirped. "I'm always up for different."

Eri fell behind, rubbing her eyes. Everything Mimi said sounded sincere and legitimate. There was no reason to suspect anything amiss, and both Meiko and Michael trusted her. Why was she having such a hard time getting on board? Were the trappings of this world and the constant obstructions tainting her pure soul?

"Oh, uh, so Mimi…" Meiko's voice and head lowered. "You were going to room with some of the other Americans but there's a… problem with your room."

"I'm sure it's not a big deal," Mimi replied, still smiling.

Michael grimaced. "Well… it's not there anymore. Yaddith took a chunk out of it and we're behind on repairing it."

"I'm sorry," added Meiko.

"Why are you apologizing?" replied Eri… and Mimi. At the same time. Mimi turned to Eri, smile brightening for a flash.

Blowing past the moment, Michael said, "We figure it will be a few days. The best we can do for now is find space for a sleeping bag."

"Or a futon," Meiko suggested.

Mimi spun around to her, still grinning. "Space in your room?"

"I mean… I… guess I do… but…" Mimi waited for the rest. "…well I guess the only thing is…"

With a cheerfully dismissive wave, Mimi interrupted, "Oh don't worry, I'll disappear when Tai visits."

Meiko's cheeks turned deep red. So did Eri's. Michael looked away, pausing a moment before saying, "So is that all right then?"

"Uh… yeah…" Meiko calmed herself down, even managing a smile. "Always happy to be there for Mimi."

Mimi grabbed Meiko's waist and pulled her in closer. "That's why you're the best." They still clung to each other as they kept walking, Michael, Betamon, and Palmon right behind.

This time, Eri didn't follow. The needs of the settlement had made her accustomed to meddling. She rarely felt she was somewhere she didn't belong. Working with Meiko and Michael on their own wasn't a challenge; those two had a complicated history and only a passing friendship. Mimi had deep ties to both of them, and expressed them loudly.

"Eri? What's wrong?" asked Dokamon. She folded her arms and frowned. Was she that obvious?

"I don't know." Everything she witnessed and her friends' reactions suggested Mimi was an awesome person Eri should love to befriend. Why she didn't was beyond her. Until she figured it out, she just wanted to stay away from it, no matter how much she needed to be involved.

* * *

Torajiro Asuka tried to talk himself into being amused by the situation. Aboard Imperialdramon there was no arguing, everybody keeping as professional as a response team mission required. He was pretty sure anybody on board would still take a bullet for anyone else. These guys were just bred like that. There was still idle chatter going on, but personal and too quiet for anyone else to pick up. Nobody organized anyone's placement, but everyone sorted themselves according to silent rules. Davis, Ken, and Yolei sat up front, with Takato and Rika in the back.

"Is it groovy?" he asked himself.

"Is it not?" Musimon echoed.

"So not groovy," they answered together.

He had a vague idea about the conflict. Davis's team was upset that Takato's team could stoop to creating Yaddith in the first place. Astra needed all his internal zen to not take a side. On one hand, he witnessed Yaddith's destruction and would normally be leery of anyone involved in its formation. On the other… Haru and Rei moved mountains to bring Yuujin back to life and Astra supported that all the way.

Trying to stay neutral proved difficult. For one thing, he wasn't sure how him talking to either side would be taken. Takato was the captain and deserved respect and loyalty. Davis and Yolei were Astra's closest friends. Eventually he stopped caring and approached the front.

"So how long is everyone staying mad at each other?"

"Oh, we're not mad anymore," said Yolei. "We've calmly accepted that friends we've known for years are actually kind of horrible."

"That doesn't sound much better," Musimon replied.

Ken sighed. "There wouldn't be a problem if they accepted what they did was wrong. That's the first step."

"Or at the very least, think about who could have gotten hurt," added Hawkmon.

Astra and Musimon looked at each other and frowned. The Yuujin revival project sounded really cool at the time. This made him think about the possible consequences. That brought on doubts.

Determined to get off the topic, he asked, "So where are we heading?"

"Don't know, never been to these parts before," Davis answered. "But when it freaks out Marcus you know it's bad."

"Didn't Thomas say it was from his world even?" asked Yolei.

Ken stared forward, haunted. "Yes. A manmade Digimon designed to kill without creating a digi-egg. And they couldn't scratch it."

They spent the few minutes of the rest of the trip in a hush. The patrol team met them outside the clearing. "Thanks for the help, but I don't know why Thomas sent you up here," said Marcus as he greeted Takato. "I don't think there's a lot you can do."

"If there's a Digimon permanently killings things we can't just ignore it," said Takato. "We have to try something."

"So what do you know about this guy?" Yolei asked.

"Gizumon? Created by some asshole to wipe out all Digimon," said Marcus. "Back home we dealt with them just fine. This guy's another story."

Kazu chuckled. "A manmade Digimon? Who'd have the nerve to make something like that?" He peered over to Ken, out of range with Davis de-evolving Imperialdramon.

Out the side of his mouth, Takato mumbled. "Maybe not the best time, Kazu…"

"It's moving." Behind everybody, Cody had been monitoring his D-Terminal. "Heading our way."

"Aw, but I wanted to yell at Kazu," Yolei pouted.

"Guys, we're going to have to pull together for this one." Takato's voice rose, mustering all the confidence he could. "Everybody stay away from it. Projectile attacks only. Let's spread out, but not so much we're shooting each other. Okay?"

With a huff, Yolei said, "Yeah yeah…"

"Good. Let's do this in two waves. One team throws everything it can, then another. Everything on our signal."

"Okay, someone from my team pair up with someone from his team and let's get going." Marcus slapped his hands together.

Astra found it an oddly rigid way of setting up an all-out attack, but didn't dwell on it too much. The created teams were predictable: Takato and Marcus, Yolei and Cody, and Rika picking Yoshi, leaving Astra with Kazu. With Cyberdramon still hobbled, Ryo stayed behind.

"So what do you make of this thing?" Astra asked.

"To be honest, we sorta missed him," Kazu answered. "Yoshi ran ahead once the fighting started. This bucket of bolts couldn't keep up." He turned around and smirked at Guardromon.

They didn't miss it this time, scrambling for shelter before they caught its eye. It was still 50 yards or so away, marching through the woods with a slow but deliberate swagger. Behind the remains of a tall bush, Guardromon said, "It seems to know where it's going."

"Right into our trap I hope," said Kazu.

It wasn't the greatest trap: all the dead vegetation made the cover sparse. This had to be the reason for splitting up and attacking by unit, avoiding giving Gizumon too many large, easy targets.

Over the radio, Marcus said, "He's getting closer. Get ready to digivolve."

Once Gizumon drew near enough, Marcus gave the command. Around the wood, WarGrowlmon, Rosemon, and Digmon appeared. Astra was so pumped by Guardromon evolving next to him he didn't catch Gizumon veer away from its course, straight towards WarGrowlmon.

Marcus must have noticed. "Fire!" he shouted.

"Rock Crackin'!" Digmon's attack at least forced Gizumon to stumble and fall.

"Forbidden Temptation!"

"Gatling Attack!"

"Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon's attack triggered an explosion directly on Gizumon. The team kept feeding into the smoke for another minute. Astra loved it.

"Okay, hold fire!" Takato shouted over the response team's radios. "Second team get ready, just in case." Kyubimon and Aquilamon popped up.

"You think he survived that?" asked Musimon.

"Wouldn't shock me," said Kazu. "Just digivolve or… whatever you guys do."

By the time Astra ran through the process of realizing Entermon, the smoke cleared. Gizumon staggered to its feet.

"So not groovy!" Astra shouted.

At first it faced where WarGrowlmon had been. Then it turned to Kyubimon, charged, and fired a beam. She dodged it. From the clearing, Rika shouted back, "Hey, what are you shooting at us for?"

"Team Two fire!" Takato ordered.

"Foxtail Inferno!"

"Blast Rings!" Neither Kyubimon nor Aquilamon's attack did anything. Gizumon charged another attack towards Kyubimon.

Astra gave Entermon a tentative thumb's up. "Well let's see if we can save the day again!"

"Porte Melos!" Gizumon split apart on first impact, destroying itself in a tidy explosion, minuscule compared to WarGrowlmon's onslaught.

"All right!" Kazu shook Astra's shoulders in celebration. "Man, you just tore that guy apart like nothing!"

Entermon reverted back to Musimon and leaped for joy. "Sure did, yo! I'm like a secret weapon!"

Astra high-fived Musimon's ears. "Yeah!" He paused and let it sink in for a moment. "Something's totally messed up, isn't it?"

Takato ran into the battlefield, surveying where Gizumon had stood. By the time he got there, there was nothing left. "Thomas was right… Appmon again."

"Thomas was right?" Yoshi ran through the brush to join him. "What's that mean?"

"When he heard you guys couldn't stop it, he wondered if only an Appmon could hit it like at the settlement. That, uh… that was pretty clear."

"That wouldn't happen to be the reason you had our team go second, would it?" Yolei had an accusing tone.

Takato squirmed a little. "Uh… heh heh…"

"There was something else there too," Rika said, bailing him out and even earning a glare from Yolei. "Did you catch who that thing was aiming at?"

"Wait…" Yolei looked at Guilmon, then Renamon. "Again?!"

"Again what?" Kazu shot out of their cover.

Astra ran after him. "That's right, this one was going after you guys too!"

Takato stared back, dumbfounded. "That… doesn't make any sense… this thing's never seen us before."

"He's right though," said Cody. "When we first saw it, it targeted Cyberdramon more than anyone."

"Seriously?" Yolei darted her head between Takato and Rika. "What did you guys do this time?"

"What makes you think we did anything?" Rika barked back, taking two steps towards Yolei before Takato stepped between them. "We didn't do anything the first time!"

Yolei glared back, unable to answer the question but unwilling to back down. Astra raised his arms in surrender and mumbled, "Yeesh, these guys are really going at it."

"You're telling me," said Kazu. "Didn't think you could piss off the season two kids this much, but here we are."

"Right?!" Astra paused and thought before adding, "You guys really call them the season two kids?"

"I mean…" Kazu looked at Guardromon and rubbed his neck. "Not all of us. It's kinda-"

"That's so groovy!"

* * *

 **Next Time on Nexusworld- Episode 17:** **"Robots Don't Cry"**  
Tai's visit to Isthmian brings him face to face with Yuujin. TK realizes what's really going on between Davis and Kari. JP and Tommy feel the fallout from Ewan and Airu's relationship.

" _Once I realize that… then comes the part of me that just wants to burn everything."_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Going off the Appmon/Digimon crossover episode, there's enough differentiation between the two to suggest Yaddith could be programmed to resist one but not the other. They're apparently coded differently, even if Appmon are considered part of the Digimon family.

Youkomon are basically blue Kyubimon. You can fill in some blanks from there.

Yikes, that Airu scene… this is one of those places where I'm trying to keep everything explicitly consensual while also conveying just how much these two mess each up. Going for something borderline absurd and also emphasis just how little experience these two have with this sort of thing seemed like the best way to navigate that. The whole thing is something of a reconciliation between the Ewan in Xros Wars and the one in Hunters, while Airu tries to figure out just what she wanted out of him in the first place.

This is the first new chapter that explicitly uses the official subtitled terminology for Eri and Astra's catchphrases. All previous usages have been retroactively updated. You don't have to go back and check, as it doesn't impact anything.


End file.
